Rich Funke Biography
Rich Funke is an American journalist and politician who served in the 55th district of the New York State Senate from 2015 to 2020. Funke had worked as a news anchor and sports director for WHEC-TV, an NBC affiliate in Rochester, New York, for about 40 years until his election.
Rich Funke Age
Rich was born on 30 January 1949, in Batavia, New York, United States of America. He is 75 years old as of January 2024.
Rich Funke Education
He attended Adelphi University.
Rich Funke Career
Funke is a former radio disc jockey, radio and television journalist, television sports reporter, and news anchor from Rochester, New York. He began his broadcasting career at WBTA in Batavia, New York. He went on to work as a news reader and reporter at WHAM in Rochester before becoming the news director of WAXC, a top 40 station, in 1972. After WAXC, he was hired as a sports director at WHEC-TV in 1974. After working at WTVJ-TV in Miami, Florida from 1980 to 1981, he returned to Rochester and his prior position at WHEC-TV. Funke took over as lead anchor of WHEC-TV’s evening newscasts at 5, 6, 7, and 11 p.m. in 2005.
Funke launched his campaign for the New York State Senate in Senate District 55, challenging incumbent Democrat Ted O’Brien. Funke defeated O’Brien by 54,874 votes to 38,624. Funke ran for reelection unopposed in 2016. In 2018, he was a key Democratic target, defeating Democrat Jen Lunsford by a margin of 52% to 48%. In December 2019, Funke declared that he would not run for re-election the following year.Funke was recognized into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame in December 2012, shortly after retiring.
Rich Funke Awards
Funke won the James H. Ellery Memorial Award for Television for his coverage of the Rochester Americans in 1977 and 1986. On December 27, 2014, the Rochester Lancers of the Major Arena Soccer League honored Funke into the Rochester Lancers Wall of Fame as one of Rochester’s “soccer pioneers”. Funke was the first Rochester Lancers’ television play-by-play commentator in the North American Soccer League.
Rich Funke Net Worth
Rich has an estimated net worth of 10 million dollars.