Seeber seeks seat in Legislative District 10, which includes the communities of Aurora, Colden, Concord, Elma, Holland, Sardinia and West Seneca
With the campaign season right around the corner some potentially exciting developments are percolating in the South Towns. After a particularly acrimonious primary in the race for the Tenth District of the Erie County Legislature the ownership of that seat seemed to be once again firmly in the hands of the Lorigo family. “Not so fast,” says Deb Seeber, “not if I can help it!”
Seeber, who grew up in East Aurora and returned there sixteen years ago to raise her own daughter, is announcing her candidacy for LD10 this Saturday, July 15, at 12 noon in front of the Municipal Building, aka Aurora Town Hall and East Aurora Village Hall on Oakwood Avenue in the village.
The Tenth, which is comprised of the Towns of Aurora, Elma, Wales, Colden, Holland, Sardinia, Concord and a portion of West Seneca, has long been considered a bastion of conservatism and the Republican Party. Seeber believes people are ready for a change.
“The primary race between Lyndsay Lorigo and Jim Malczewski showed just how ugly politics can be,” says Seeber. “People don’t want that; they are sick of it. I am a Democrat, and I will be seeking the endorsement of my party, but my campaign will focus on quality-of-life issues and bipartisanship.
Seeber, who is a Democratic Party committee woman in the Town of Aurora, just recently started her campaign and has been visiting the neighboring townships in the Tenth. “I’ve received a warm welcome from the West Seneca committee – they’re great – and I plan on moving south from there.”
“West Seneca deserves a county legislator who is focused on their needs,” said West Seneca Democratic Committee Chair Amy Kobler. “The West Seneca Democratic Committee welcomes Deb Seeber into the race, and we look forward to working with her this year. Voters deserve a choice. No family ‘owns’ an elected office, and Deb will be making her case as why she can deliver for the people of District 10.”
Seeber is running on those issues which she believes impact peoples’ lives directly – she is a strong advocate for education, enrichment programs such as green space development, parks, and libraries, and the arts, health care and safety, and especially, environmental issues. “We
have only one planet on which to live, we need to learn to be good stewards thereof. I want my daughter to have clean air to breathe and safe water to drink, I know we all want that for our children and grandchildren.”
Seeber divides her time between two part time jobs – working for the Town of Aurora and Erie County in senior services and as a substitute teacher at East Aurora High School. “For the Town, I drive our older residents here and in Elma on the Senior Van, to doctor appointments, grocery shopping, lunch and socializing at the senior centers. Many of these people are still vital, they simply can’t drive for one reason or another. This is a great service, and the riders are extremely appreciative. And being up at the high school is truly inspiring – the kids are bright and engaged, it gives me hope for the future.”
Aurora Democratic Committee Chair Michelle Schoeneman was proud to endorse Seeber. “Getting to know Deb over the past few years, I have been impressed by her work ethic and dedication to our community. She sees this race as opportunity to advocate for all, from young people to the elderly, but also for the hardworking men and women of this district who keep their nose to the grindstone just trying to give their children a good life and a good future and who often live from paycheck to paycheck. She can say ‘Hey, I’m not a rich attorney, I know how that goes, I certainly can relate.’”
The Erie County Democratic Committee is expected to make their endorsement of Seeber official next week, and she has already received the endorsement of the Democratic committees in West Seneca and Aurora. She hopes to meet with the Democratic committees of the other Towns in LD10 within the next few weeks.
“I think it’s worth noting that all of these committees are chaired by women,” she says. “We are the growing force in American politics, not just nationally, but also here at the grassroots level. We care about people and the issues that are important to them and affect their lives directly, on a daily basis. We are all mothers, and we care about the world our children are inheriting. And hey, we’re half the population, we have the right to govern our own lives and bodies. Of course, I support a woman’s right to choose – where does Lyndsay Lorigo stand on that one?”
