Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 24

Ernie Konnyu was born in 1937 in Hungary and immigrated to the United States as a child in 1949 along with his parents, brother and sister. Konnyu, raised in Missouri, is a graduate of  The Ohio State University (B.S. Business Administration majoring in accounting, 1965), and has been married to Lillian Muenks Konnyu of Loose Creek, Missouri, since 1959. The Konnyus have four grown daughters who are all graduates of San Jose State University, three of whom are married and occupy manager and technical posts with Silicon Valley firms and the fourth daughter is a certificated teacher. The Konnyu's have six grand children. The Konnyu's reside in Saratoga, California.

Ernie's life reflects the classic American story of an immigrant kid who came to our shores and made himself successful through hard work and perseverance. He has held important positions during his career including major in the U.S. Air Force, and director of  Internal Audit at National Semiconductor Corporation of Santa Clara. He is the president of Konnyu Financials and Taxes, Inc., a six year old self-employed family tax consulting business.

Ernie's political career began in the California Assembly between 1980 and 1986 where he was chairman of the Policy Committee and vice chair of Assembly Policy and Human Services. Assemblyman Konnyu's proudest accomplishment was the bi-partisan passage of the workfare law called GAIN mandating that able bodied persons on welfare work for their welfare checks. Ernie achieved his life dream when he was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1986. He served one term and was rated by the Congressional Journal as the 8th best supporter of President Ronald Reagan out of the then 47 member California delegation.

This year Ernie handily won the Republican primary for Assembly District 24 gaining 63% of the vote in a three way race.

Ernie's wife, Lillian Konnyu, a certified registered nurse anesthetist, is chief nurse anesthetist at Kaiser Hospital in Santa Clara.   Ernie Konnyu became a certified internal auditor in 1971, a California registered tax preparer in 1997 and is a member of the California Society of Tax Consultants, the Association of Former Members of the U.S. Congress, Air Force Association, the Retired Officers Association, and the American Legion. His hobbies include politics (he endorsed and assisted Arnold's campaign), travel and golf.