Republican John C. Garcia still has more money at his disposal than any other candidate in the race for Erie County sheriff, $50,000 more than Democrat Kimberly Beaty as of last week.
Garcia and Beaty raised similar amounts over three weeks – about $86,000 by Garcia and almost $82,000 by Beaty – or around $4,000 a day, on average, for each. Still, Garcia has the fatter campaign fund to fuel a blitz of spending before Nov. 2.
Take a look at our coverage of the 2021 Erie County sheriff's race. Early voting begins Oct. 23. Election Day is Nov. 2.
Early voting began Saturday, with heavy turnout in the City of Buffalo, which also features a hot race for mayor. Turnout in the city is expected to weigh more heavily for Beaty, the Democrat who served as Buffalo's deputy police commissioner and now is public safety director at Canisius College.
Republican candidates in the sheriff's race, who have won the office since 1997, draw their best support from parts of the county outside of Buffalo. Garcia is a retired Buffalo detective now in the private-security business.Â
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In their most recent reports to the state Board of Elections, Beaty had $75,718 on hand, while Garcia’s account held $126,465.
Fundraising slowed considerably for a third candidate, Ted DiNoto, a detective lieutenant with the Amherst Police Department who is running as an independent. DiNoto raised about $12,000 over the last few weeks and, after spending $54,000 this month, had about $8,200 in the bank as of Oct. 18.
A finance report by the fourth candidate, Conservative Party nominee Karen Healy-Case, has not yet been posted with the Board of Elections. Healy-Case has suspended her campaign and thrown her support to Beaty. At the start of the month, Healy-Case reported a campaign balance of $3,610.
Beaty pulled in some large donations: $15,000 from the Service Employees International Union; $10,000 from the Erie County Democratic Committee; and $8,000 from the Women’s TAP fund, a political action committee that promotes the candidacies of pro-choice women. She also gave her campaign $700 this month.
Garcia’s largest contribution in the latest cycle, $5,000, came from Thomas W. Snyder Sr., of Snyder Industries, a maker of industrial equipment in the City of Tonawanda. He has donated to the Garcia campaign before.
The Republican candidate also drew $2,500 from the Seneca Nation of Indians and $2,500 from Strates Shows, Inc., an amusement operator at the Erie County Fair whose rides are inspected for safety by sheriff’s officials. Strates steadily contributed over the years to incumbent Sheriff Timothy B. Howard, who endorsed Garcia and who leaves office at the end of the year.
DiNoto, a Clarence resident, pulled in his largest contributions from two related businesses in Clarence – $2,500 from NAJA Inc., a car dealership, and $2,000 from Clarence Wall and Ceiling, which is under the same ownership.
DiNoto spent about $54,000 in the latest cycle, mostly on direct mail and television advertising that calls attention to his status as an independent, not beholden to a political party.
But with the more than $150,000 he spent so far this month, Garcia has thrown more than $450,000 at the race and will likely top $500,000 before Nov. 2. Beaty’s total spending is approaching $200,000. The candidates are seeking a job that pays about $90,000 a year.
