Heading into Election Day, Republicans knew it would be an uphill climb to take back the Erie County Legislature majority from the Democrats, but they wanted to close the gap by trying to unseat 9th District Democrat John Gilmour.
Gilmour faced off against fellow lawyer Frank Bogulski in a district that includes South Buffalo, Lackawanna and the Town of Hamburg.
While that race was too close to call Tuesday night, with both candidates within a few dozen votes, Gilmour said absentee ballots are expected to land in his favor.
Based on absentee ballots received by the Erie County Board of Elections so far, he said 65% of the 1,247 ballots received were from Democrats and Working Families party voters. Another 9% were from unaffiliated voters.
If Gilmour holds onto what was a very slim lead Tuesday night, then the balance of power in the Legislature will remain unchanged, with all incumbent legislators returning to office.
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An overwhelming defeat
Rick Davis, who repeatedly clashed with fellow Democrats and drew scrutiny for actions taken as mayor of the City of Tonawanda, was routed in his bid for a third term.
What led to his overwhelming defeat at the hands of Republican businessman John White, who beat him by 66% to 33%, or 2-to-1?
Was it his deteriorating relationship with some fellow Democratic officials, notably Common Council President Jenna Koch, with whom he regularly sparred?
Davis almost faced a primary challenger before Democrats backed down and the city party chairwoman insisted all was forgiven.
Or was it allegations of misconduct that were investigated by the city's Ethics Board and the Erie County District Attorney's Office, including his use of a city credit card and Tonawanda’s hiring of his brother as a contractor?
(Former WKBW investigative reporter Madison Carter, now in Atlanta, who reported in depth on the Davis allegations, has her own theory: "Getting word Davis lost his bid for re-election tonight," she tweeted. "Going back to review my notes to understand how this happened.")
Davis denied wrongdoing and no evidence of ethical or criminal violations was found. But someone thought voters needed reminding of the allegations in text messages and automated calls that went out to voters in the days before the election.
Davis decried the tactic and White denied having anything to do with them.
Late Tuesday, White was at the Erie County GOP's election night party, where he called his victory "a group effort."
"A lot of people worked very hard to make this happen," White told The Buffalo News. "We as a group worked together and we made it happen and we're looking forward to the continuing job we have now of still working hard."
A bad night for prominent women candidates
Tuesday wasn't a good day for the most prominent women running for office in Erie County.
Democratic socialist India Walton, whose primary victory in the race for Buffalo mayor, drew national notice, apparently was outpolled by write-in votes for incumbent Byron Brown, who declared victory late Tuesday.
Erie County Sheriff's candidate Kim Beaty, a Democrat, hasn't conceded in her race but she trails Republican John Garcia with absentee ballots waiting to be counted.
Beaty, like Walton for Buffalo mayor, would be the first Black woman to hold the sheriff's post.
And Lynne Dixon has conceded in her race for Erie County comptroller. The Republican-backed Dixon lost to Democrat Kevin Hardwick.
Their campaigns, and the elevation to the governor's office of Kathy Hochul, were among developments this year cited by organizations that seek to boost women's representation in politics.
Some women candidates came out ahead Tuesday, including the all-women slate of Democrats running for Tonawanda Town Board: newcomer Gina Santa Maria and Councilwomen Jill O'Malley and Shannon Patch.
But in Amherst, upstate's most populous town, Democratic Councilwoman Jacqualine Berger will need absentee ballots to carry her to victory over Republican Ray Herman, who led by 181 votes after Election Day.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Democrat Kevin Hardwick's victory as the next Erie County comptroller is how it marks a voting pattern change for Erie County.
Party unity in the Rath Building
When Democrat Kevin Hardwick takes office as comptroller next year, he will be the first elected comptroller since 2005 to be of the same political party as the Erie County executive.
The last time this happened was when Republican Comptroller Nancy Naples served while Democrat-turned-Republican Joel Giambra was Erie County Executive from 2000 to 2005. Before that, Republican Comptroller Alfreda Slominski served while Republican Edward Rutkowski was Erie County executive. Their time overlapped from 1979 to 1987.
Other than that, the voters of Erie County have shown a pattern of supporting comptrollers of the opposite party than the sitting county executive. That's not surprising given the comptroller's role as fiscal watchdog.
Current Republican Erie County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw was a focal point throughout the campaign, with Hardwick's campaign rejecting Mychajliw's tenure and carrying a "culture change" message. His campaign also tied his challenger, Republican-endorsed Lynne Dixon, to Mychajliw since she works as his associate deputy comptroller.
With Mychajliw also losing his bid for Hamburg supervisor, the current Erie County Comptroller's Office took a big election night hit.
A number of close races
There are several squeakers in suburban races, which will come down to absentee ballots before the winner is determined.
In Collins, Democrats Robert E. O'Connor and James Hotnich are within two votes of each other for a councilman's position. Hotnich has 477 and O'Connor has 475 votes.
In Aurora, 17 votes separate three candidates for Town Board vying for the second seat on the board: Democrat Joseph M. McCann is leading with 1,970 votes, Republican Conor W. Schneider has 1,965 votes and Republican David G. Peltan has 1,953.
In Evans, Republican Kathy M. Gray is leading Democrat Laurie H. Reitz by 13 votes for a Town Board seat. Reitz has 1,493 votes and Gray has 1,506.
In Cheektowaga, 19 votes separate candidates for the third seat on the Town Board. Republican Vernon S. Thompson has 6,764 votes to incumbent Democrat Brian N. Pilarski's 6,745. And Republican Michael C. Jasinski was the top vote-getter for the board.
In Amherst, Republican Ray Herman had 12,768 votes for councilman, while Democrat Jacqualine G. Berger received 12,587, a difference of 181 votes.
Rolling in, rolling out
More than 50 people gathered Tuesday night at The Avant in Buffalo, where the Erie County Republican Committee gathered to watch election results roll in.
Inside a room with tables dressed in long white linens, guests hit up the open bar, offering a selection of Finger Lakes wines, Labatt Blue and a Southern Tier Brewing Co. IPA.
The spread also included two tables with food, including an assortment cheese cubes, vegetables, fruits, subs and wraps.
By 11:42 p.m., as attendees started to trickle out, with both the Erie County sheriff's race and the 9th District legislature race still too close to call, the bartender put up a sign: "Bar closed."
No-show for Dixon
Lynne Dixon, who lost the race for Erie County comptroller, did not make an appearance at the Erie County Republican Committee gathering at The Avant.
While Dixon was expected to attend and later conceded the race, according to Committee Chairman Karl Simmeth, the county Republicans celebrated several municipal wins.
Simmeth said Republicans swept races in Grand Island, Orchard Park and Lancaster. The party also logged gains in the City of Tonawanda, he noted, and as of 11:30 p.m. were holding out hope that Herman would get a council seat in Amherst.
Sending a message
Democratic Comptroller-elect Kevin Hardwick was excited about the strong showing of Democratic candidates on Tuesday, particularly the Hamburg supervisor race.
"They sent a message in Hamburg today," he said referencing the defeated Republican candidate, outgoing Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw, an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump. Hardwick invoked the Jan. 6 insurrection and noted how that spirit had pervaded the office.
"Tonight that spirit is no longer welcome in the Erie County comptroller's office," he said.
Hardwick defeated Mychajliw's aide, Lynne Dixon.
Niagara County races
Results of three Niagara County election races Tuesday night were so close, the count of absentee ballots will decide the winners.
Contests for a County Legislature seat in Niagara Falls, a Common Council seat in the City of Lockport and a Town Board seat in Lewiston are headed into election overtime.
In the 6th District in midtown Niagara Falls, Republican Christopher P. Voccio leads Democrat William Kennedy II by 14 votes, 735-721, in the contest to succeed 30-year Legislator Dennis F. Virtuoso.
That was the total of early and Election Day votes.
According to the Niagara County Board of Elections, 91 absentee ballots had arrived at its office as of Tuesday. Another 82 ballots were issued but have not yet been returned.
Voccio and Kennedy both are city councilmen who decided to run for the Legislature instead of for re-election to the Council.
In the 1st Ward in the northern part of the City of Lockport, the alderman race between Democrat Paul M. Beakman Jr. and Republican John D. Craig is as tight as it can be.
The tally of early and Election Day votes showed Beakman ahead 300-299.
The Board of Elections had 43 absentee ballots in house as of Tuesday, with another 31 issued but not yet returned.
In Lewiston, Republican J. Steve Boddecker has a significant edge in the contest for the second of two available Town Board seats, but not large enough to rule out a win for incumbent Democrat John O. Jacoby Jr.
Republican Robin Morreale won the first seat easily, with 2,078 votes. Boddecker had 1,298 votes and Jacoby 1,219, counting both early and Election Day ballots.
The Board of Elections said it had 184 Lewiston absentee ballots in house as of Tuesday, with 146 issued but not yet received.
In an odd election result, 572 write-in votes were cast for Hartland councilman, to 513 for incumbent Joseph A. Reed and 505 for incumbent David D. Huntington.
But at the end of the day, it's possible that Reed and Huntington, both Republicans, were re-elected.
That's because two candidates, Cheryl Confer and Margaret Zaepfel, ran write-in campaigns. They may have divided those 572 votes between them.
However, it's the second consecutive town election in which candidates opposing the controversial Ridge View Solar project, which would cover more than 2,000 acres in Hartland and neighboring Newfane, have run strong write-in efforts. In 2019, Michael Outten received 44% of the vote for supervisor, all from write-ins.
News Staff Reporters Barbara O'Brien, Stephen T. Watson, Thomas J. Prohaska, Jon Harris and Sandra Tan contributed to this article
