Many uncontested elections in Erie and Niagara counties; state funding could make some legislative races more competitive

So why are so many elections uncontested?  Maybe it’s a lack of interest in government.  Perhaps one-sided party enrollment discourages potential challengers.  Media reporting on local governments, which could spark interest, is greatly diminished.  Or could it be that people are just content with the only candidate up for a particular office?

Local elections are mostly held in odd-numbered year elections but there are a few on the ballot this year.  I reported last fall that in Erie County just 46 percent of the elections were contested.

The odd-year local elections system is about to change.  Starting next year local elections throughout the state, except in cities and for constitutionally created offices, will shift to even-numbered years when the president and the governor are being elected.  Total votes cast in local elections will increase, but whether that will also increase the competitiveness for local public offices remains to be seen.

Here is a summary of the contested and uncontested elections in Erie and Niagara counties this year:

• All three congressional districts that include parts of Erie and Niagara counties officially have Democratic and Republican candidates but the offices are not really competitive.  The Republican candidate in the 26^th District, Anthony Marecki, has not even created a Federal Election Commission committee.  So the first 2024 election calls in Western New York are in:  Langworthy, Tenney, and Kennedy are all re-elected.
• In the elections for four state Senate seats in districts that are in whole or in part in the two counties, the 60^th District, represented by Republican Pat Gallivan and the 62^nd District, represented by Republican Rob Ortt, have no challengers.
• In the 12 Assembly races, there are contests in all but the 139^th District (Republican Stephen Hawley); the 140^th District (Democrat Bill Conrad); the 141^st District (Democrat Crystal Peoples-Stokes); and the 149^th District (Jonathan Rivera).
• In Erie and Niagara counties there are four state Supreme Court seats, three Buffalo City Court positions, and a Family Court seat in Niagara County that are uncontested.  There are only three candidates (two Democrats, one Republican) for two vacant Erie County Family Court judgeships.
• There is a contest for Erie County District Attorney but not for that position in Niagara County.  The Niagara County Sheriff is running unopposed.
• There is only one candidate on the ballot to fill the unexpired term of the Erie County legislator in the 1^st District.
• There are contests to elect three at-large members of the Buffalo Board of Education; the elections for the Board’s seats are now conducted in November.
• There are eight Town Justice positions in Erie County plus three in Niagara County with just one candidate.
• Two Village of Kenmore Board seats are unchallenged.
• There are contests for the Town Council in Cheektowaga, Grand Island, and Tonawanda.
• In Niagara County there is only one candidate for highway superintendent in the Town of Lockport.  Candidates for supervisor and two town Council seats in the town of Wilson are unopposed.

In summary:

• There are contested elections in Erie County for Congressional Districts 23 and 26.  Six of the fifteen state legislative districts have no challengers.  In the remaining 24 elections, 6 are uncontested.
• There is a contested election in Niagara County in the part of the county that is in the 24^th Congressional District.  There are no contested state or local elections.

Public funding may make some state legislative seats competitive

New York State in 2024 began providing public funding for state legislative candidates.  While all elections are about more than just how much money a candidate can raise, the fact is that public campaign financing of seats in Western New York may in some cases result in more competitive races.

The state Public Campaign Financing Board since May been has been providing funds to candidates who applied for participation in the plan and who have submitted the required documentation of their personal fundraising activities.  Here is a summary of the state financing thus far:

• Erie County Legislature Chair and Democratic candidate in the 63^rd Senate District, April McCants-Baskin: $93,750.
• The Democratic Assemblyman in the 142^nd District, Pat Burke:  $68,355.
• Burke’s Republican opponent, Marc Priore:  $69,175.
• The Republican Assembly candidate in the 143^rd District, Patrick Chludzinski:  $110,317.
• The Democratic Assembly candidate in the 144^th District, Michelle Roman:  $60,072.
• The incumbent Assemblyman in the 144^th District, Michael Norris, received the maximum amount for Assembly candidates ($175,000), but since he is now a candidate for state Supreme Court, he will be returning that money.
• The incumbent Republican Assemblyman in the 145^th District, Angelo Morinello:  $85,736.
• Morinello’s Democratic opponent, Jeffrey Elder:  $51,418.
• The Democratic candidate in the 147^th District, Darci Cramer:  a total of $82,388 in three separate disbursements.
• The Republican candidate in the 148^th Assembly District, Joe Sempolinski:  $123,642.
• The losing candidate in the Republican primary in the 147^th District, Mitch Martin:  a total of $91,138.

The state money can make several of the Assembly races more competitive than they might have been if the challenging candidate was left simply raising his or her own money.  The last required campaign filing information for all committees, reported on July 15, is getting a bit dusty.  We can, however, add what the candidates’ accounts showed then together with the state money added in.  That information shows that:

• In the 142^nd Assembly District Pat Burke’s reported $27,469 in July; added to the state money – a total of $95,824.  Marc Priore’s July number was $10,482; adding in the state money – $79,657.  In addition to the advantages of incumbency Burke could receive supplemental financial support from the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee (DACC), which has considerable resources.
• In the 143^rd Assembly District incumbent Democrat Monica Wallace reported $164,626 in her campaign account; she is not participating in the state funding program.  Her Republican opponent, Patrick Chludzinski, had $10,065 in his account.  Combined with his state funding the total becomes $120,382.  Wallace might also receive funding from DACC.
• The Democratic candidate in the 144^th Assembly District, Michelle Roman, had a balance of $6,980 in her account; with state funding her total is $67,052.  Paul Bologna, who was substituted for Norris as the Republican candidate, will not be reporting his campaign finances until September 30.  It won’t be surprising to see Norris transfer some of his personally raised campaign funds to Bologna who is Norris’ chief of staff.
• In the 145^th Assembly District Republican incumbent Angelo Morinello had a balance of $34,671; combined with his state money the total is $120,407.  Morinello’s Democratic opponent, Jeffrey Elder had $4,873; with his state funds his total – $56,291.
• The Democratic candidate in the 147^th District, Darci Cramer, had $10,741 in July; state funding brings the total to $93,129.  Incumbent Republican David DiPietro spent heavily in his successful primary, leaving him with just $16,389 in mid-July.

All candidates can continue to raise money and, provided they registered for participation last February, can also qualify for additional state funding. 

Money is not the only factor in a campaign.  The strength and credibility of the candidate and their opposition; party enrollment; and turnout, particularly in a presidential election year, will play a part in determining who wins an election.  This year’s results, when assessed against the availability of state funds, should give us some indication of value of the state’s campaign financing program.

Also hovering over the state funding are questions about the proper use of the tens of millions of dollars that are being disbursed statewide.  Several weeks ago I noted an investigation by the New York Times about funding received by one particular candidate in New York City.  Additional questionable use of funds won’t be surprising, but that information will be dependent on the hit-or-miss future audits by the Public Campaign Financing Board and the media.

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