Three state Assembly districts in Erie County have become "battlegrounds," with Assembly Democrats spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to retain the seats, while Assembly Republicans are donating significant amounts to pull an upset in one of the races.
Campaign spending in each of the three Assembly districts is well over $200,000, and it is showing in mailboxes filled with campaign fliers, signs in yards and ads on television.
And much of the money is coming from Albany-based Assembly campaign committees.
The Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee gave a total of more than $467,000 to three incumbent Assembly members from Erie County: $190,000 to William Conrad, $157,500 to Patrick Burke and $120,000 to Monica Wallace.
And the New York State Republican Assembly Campaign Committee contributed $32,000 to Sandra Magnano, who is challenging Burke in the 142nd District.Â
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She is the only Assembly candidate in Western New York to receive a large contribution from the Assembly Republican Campaign Committee, which gave large donations to just four Republican candidates statewide.Â
"That’s going to be a hotly contested race, obviously one that the Republicans in Erie County and in Albany see as an opportunity to flip a seat," Michael Kracker, chairman of the Erie County Republican Committee, said of the Burke-Magnano race.
"Those are traditional battleground seats for us," Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner said of the Assembly districts where Conrad, Burke and Wallace received the big donations. "We're working very hard to get the message out that our incumbents are delivering for the community, and that's not always cheap."
Burke and Magnano have spent a total of nearly $250,000 in their race for the 142nd District seat, according to the New York State Board of Elections. Much of the district includes West Seneca, a town that former President Donald Trump won in 2020.
But the leader so far in spending in area Assembly races is the 140th District, where Conrad and his challenger, Republican Scott A. Marciszewski, have spent a total of $282,000. Conrad was elected two years ago to the seat held for many years by Robin L. Schimminger, D-Kenmore, who did not seek reelection in 2020.Â
And in the 143rd District, Wallace and her opponent, Republican Frank C. Smierciak, have spent $240,000.
Twelve incumbent members of the Assembly in Western New York are seeking reelection Nov. 8, with eight of them facing opposition.
The incumbents include six Democrats and six Republicans.
The candidates running for the Assembly, where Democrats hold a super majority, include:Â
139th District
Territory under new map: Orleans and Genesee counties, Newstead and part of Monroe County.
Incumbent: Stephen M. Hawley, R-Batavia.
First elected elected in 2006, Hawley is the owner of an insurance agency and is the deputy minority leader of the Republican Conference. He also has the Conservative Party endorsement.
Challenger: Jennifer A.O. Keys of Leroy. She is a community health care manager running on the Democrat line.
140th District
Territory under new map: City and Town of Tonawanda, parts of North Tonawanda and Buffalo.
Incumbent: William C. Conrad III, D-Town of Tonawanda
A former social studies teacher and Tonawanda Town Board member, Conrad is finishing his first term in the Assembly. He is also running on the Working Families line.
Challenger: Scott A. Marciszewski of the Town of Tonawanda is deputy chief of patrol for the University at Buffalo police. He has the Republican and Conservative endorsements.
141th District
Territory under new map: Northern and eastern Buffalo.
Incumbent: Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes, D-Buffalo, the majority leader of the Assembly, is a former teacher and Erie County legislator. She has served in the Assembly since 2003.
Challenger: None
142nd District
Territory under new map: West Seneca, parts of Buffalo, Lackawanna and Orchard Park.
Incumbent: Patrick B. Burke, D-Orchard Park
A former Erie County legislator, Burke was first elected to the Assembly in 2018 and also works as a political science instructor at SUNY Buffalo State.
Challenger: Sandy Magnano, a registered nurse for 40 years, is running on the Republican and Conservative lines.
143rd District
Territory under new map: Cheektowaga, Depew, parts of Lancaster and Buffalo.
Incumbent: Monica Piga Wallace, D-Lancaster
Wallace, a law clerk in federal court and faculty member of the University at Buffalo Law School, was first elected in 2016. She also has the minor party Integrity line.
Challenger: Frank C. Smierciak ran against Wallace in 2020, losing in a close race after absentee ballots were counted, although he was ahead on election night. He is running on the Republican and Conservative lines.Â
144th District
Territory under new map: Eastern Niagara County, Alden and part of Lancaster.
Incumbent: Michael J. Norris, R-Lockport
An attorney who is seeking his fourth term, he also has the Conservative line on the ballot.
Challenger: None
145th District
Territory under new map: Western Niagara County and Grand Island.
Incumbent: Angelo Morinello, R-Niagara Falls
A former Niagara County assistant district attorney and Niagara Falls City Court judge, Morinello was first elected to the Assembly in 2016 and also has the Conservative line.
Challenger: Douglas Mooradian, a sales specialist from Niagara Falls, has the Democrat line.
146th District
Territory under new map: Amherst.
Incumbent: Karen M. McMahon, D-Amherst
McMahon, a confidential law clerk to state and federal judges, is seeking her third term in the Assembly and will also run on the Integrity Party line.
Challenger: Katrina A. Zeplowitz, a staffer for State Sen. Edward A. Rath III who has worked in state and local government for the last 10 years, will run on the Republican and Conservative lines.
147th District
Territory under new map: southern Erie County and most of Wyoming County.
Incumbent David J. DiPietro, R-East Aurora
A former small business owner and East Aurora mayor, DiPietro was first elected in 2012 and also has the Conservative endorsement.
Challenger: None
148th District
Territory under new map: Cattaraugus and Allegany counties, part of Steuben County.
Incumbent: Joseph M. Giglio, R-Gowanda
First elected in 2005, Giglio is a former state deputy inspector general. He also has the Conservative endorsement.
Challenger: None
149th District
Territory under new map: Hamburg, parts of Lackawanna and Buffalo.
Incumbent: Jonathan D. Rivera, D-Buffalo
Rivera worked in banking and for Rep. Brian Higgins and Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz before he was elected to the Assembly two years ago. He also has the Working Families Party line.
Challenger: Ralph R. Hernandez of Buffalo is a retired Marine Corps sergeant who served as president of the Buffalo School Board. He is running on the Republican and Conservative lines.Â
150th District
Territory under new map: Chautauqua County, a small section of southern Erie County.
Incumbent: Andrew W. Goodell, R-Jamestown.
Goodell, a former Chautauqua County executive, has served in the Assembly since 2011. He is running on the Conservative line.
Challenger: Sandra A. Lewis, a retired SUNY Fredonia instructor running on the Democrat line, said she believes being in the majority in the Assembly will afford her the opportunity to effect change on issues such as affordable housing and mental health accessibility.
