Edward Rath III

Rath was born in Amherst, New York. His mother, Mary Lou Rath, served as a member of the New York State Senate from 1993 to 2008. His grandfather, Edward A. Rath, was the first county executive of Erie County.^[1] Rath's father, Edward Rath Jr., was a justice of the New York Supreme Court.^[2] After graduating from the Nichols School, Rath earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and history from Syracuse University and a Master of Business Administration from Canisius College.^[3]

From 2001 to 2003, Rath worked as a consultant for ProLiance Energy. He was later a consultant at the NOCO Energy Corporation and a sales manager for Gateway Energy. From 2012 to 2014, Rath was a manager at APG&E.^[4]

In 2008, he was elected to the Erie County Legislature, representing the sixth district. During his tenure in the legislature, he served as a member of the Public Safety Committee and drafted legislation to create a Property Tax Stabilization Fund.^[5] Rath was elected to the New York State Senate in November 2020 and assumed office on January 6, 2021.^[6]

In 2026, Rath was nominated by the Erie County Republican Committee to run as a candidate for his old seat on the Erie County Legislature.