As of 10 p.m., the Republicans were having a big night in Niagara County.
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The GOP looked like it had a chance to up its County Legislature majority from 10-5 to 12-3. Richard E. Abbott, a Working Families member with GOP support, routed incumbent Democrat Anita Mullane in Lockport's 13th District, while in the 6th District in Niagara Falls, the GOP's Christopher P. Voccio has a 14-vote lead over Democcrat William Kennedy II, with 91 absentee ballots to settle the issue.
Shawn Foti routed Democrat Sarah Beilein Capen in the 14th District, capping off a sweet night for the Republicans.
Their ticket of David Zajac and Traci Bax had two of the three top positions for the three available Niagara Falls City Council seats, with Democrat Donta Myles in third place.
Republicans won or were leading in every Common Council race in Lockport and North Tonawanda, but Austin J. Tylec continues to lead Robert E. Pecoraro for mayor in the only bright spot for the Democrats. Tylec leads by almost 400 votes with 18 of 33 precincts reporting.
- By Tom Prohaska
Hardwick edges Dixon; sheriff's race too close to call (10:30 p.m.)
Republican-turned-Democrat Kevin Hardwick has bested his GOP opponent Lynne Dixon in a spirited contest for Erie County comptroller. The race for Erie County sheriff remains too close to call.
Democratic Erie County Legislator @kevinhardwick has won the Erie County comptroller's race, defeating Republican-endorsed challenger @VoteLynne Dixon. pic.twitter.com/zCmlfsogrL
— Sandra Tan (@SandraTanBN) November 3, 2021
Davis loses bid for third term as Tonawanda mayor (10:29 p.m.)
Tonawanda Mayor Rick Davis, a polarizing figure who rubbed many of his fellow Democrats the wrong way, has lost his bid for a third term.
Republican John White handily won 66% to 34% over Davis with 92% of today's votes counted and all early votes counted, according to the Erie County Board of Elections.
- By Steve Watson
Hoak declares victory in Hamburg (10:28 p.m.)
Per our colleagues at The Sun, Democrat Randy Hoak has declared victory in a speech at the restaurant bearing his family's name.
Hoak, who per Buffalo News projections has not sealed victory but stands on the cusp of it, was running against sitting Erie County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw, an outspoken Republican who made some controversial campaign proclamations.
- By Eric DuVall
Vinal retains seat, nearly assuring Dem control of Erie County Legislature (10:15 p.m.)
Democratic incumbent Erie County Legislator Jeanne Vinal has won re-election to a second two-year term in the 5th District in Amherst.
Vinal, an Amherst lawyer defeated Rich Wilkinson, a political newcomer and auto dealership general manager.
It was one of two seats the Republicans had targeted in an uphill battle to win control of the chamber.
– By Sandra Tan
Direct mail campaign literature may have been delayed (10:15 p.m.)
You may have gotten some – or a lot, depending on where you live – political fliers in the mail this campaign season.
The timing of sending the fliers is part of a well-oiled campaign to make sure they drop at the optimum time. But this year candidates had to deal with the U.S. Postal Service slow-down in delivering the mail. Starting last month, the Postal Service said it would take three to five days to deliver first-class mail, depending on how far it had to go.
But it was taking longer than that to deliver fliers across town in West Seneca.
"Seven and eight days it's taking," said West Seneca Republican Chairwoman Patti Stephens.
So you may wake up to mail telling you how you should have voted.
– By Barbara O'Brien
Alden votes to upsize board (10:15 p.m.)
Alden voters overwhelmingly voted to increase the size of their Town Board from three members to five.
That means two more Council seats will be added Jan. 1, 2023.
Alden is the last of five Erie County Town Boards that went to three members to upsize to five members.
– By Barbara O'Brien
Kulpa wins Amherst supervisor race (10:10 p.m.)
Democratic incumbent Brian J. Kulpa handily beat Republican challenger Jay DiPasquale to capture a second term as Amherst town supervisor.
Kulpa, who also has the Working Families and Conservative party lines, was leading 57% to 43% over DiPasquale, who also has the United for Amherst minor-party line, with 99% of early votes and 99% of Election Day votes counted.
– By Steve Watson
A strange scene for media at Dem HQ (10:07 p.m.)
News media are being directed to the 6th floor of the Larkin Building at Erie County Democratic headquarters, away from party folk who are gathered on the 1st floor in another part of the building. #election2021 pic.twitter.com/4F4z0kjlXv
— Harold McNeil (@HaroldMcNeilBN) November 3, 2021
They have a novel setup at Democratic Headquarters in the Larkin Building. Members of the news media are segregated from the party regulars. Reporters are being directed to the sixth floor in a large room with loud music and a large American flag on the back wall while party regulars assemble on the first floor. Individual candidates who've won their races were introduced to a podium to make quick speeches.
Fillmore District Councilman Mitch Nowakowski introduced the first openly gay State Supreme Court Judge-elect, Grace Hanlon.
"When I was a kid, I never could have dreamed of this because I was gay," she said.
She previously ran for the seat and lost in 2016.
Democratic mayoral candidate India Walton made a brief appearance to thank supporters.
"I am extremely proud of the campaign that we have run," she said, adding she was looking forward to seeing the results.
– By Harold McNeil
Democrat Randy Hoak was ahead of Republican Stefan I. Mychajliw by about 1,100 votes, with about 80% of precincts in Hamburg reporting.
Many of those votes came from the Village of Hamburg, which was expected to vote for Hoak.
Hoak had a 1,000 vote lead with early voting.
– By Barbara O'Brien
Erie County voters historically prefer checks and balances in a comptroller (9:52 p.m.)
Democratic Erie County Legislator Kevin R. Hardwick, left, and Republican-endorsed Lynne Dixon.
As reporters await election results in the Erie County comptroller's race, a couple of us started wondering when the last time an elected comptroller came from the same political party as the sitting county executive.
We had to go back a long time — 34 years. That's when 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 tend to prefer comptrollers of the opposite party than the sitting county executive, which makes sense given the comptroller's role as fiscal watchdog.
Democrat David Shenk served for a short time as acting comptroller with Democratic County Executive Mark Poloncarz. But he was appointed by Poloncarz — not elected — in February 2012 and lost his election that November.
In this year's race, Republican-turned-Democrat Kevin Hardwick is running against endorsed Republican Lynne Dixon. If voters continue the pattern of voting for a comptroller of the opposite party than the county executive, that would give Dixon the edge. But Hardwick is waging a very competitive campaign. So we'll see whether the pattern holds or gets broken after more than 30 years.
– By Sandra Tan
Davis critics get louder in closing days of Tonawanda's mayoral race (9:43 p.m.)
Messages sent to voters in Tonawanda that criticize Mayor Rick Davis have become an issue in the last days of the campaign in that city.
Davis, a Democrat, starts out with a considerable enrollment edge over GOP opponent John White in a city where Democrats make up 41% of registered voters compared to the Republicans’ 28%.
But Davis has made enemies within his own party and has drawn scrutiny for actions taken while mayor.
Earlier this year, the relationship between Davis and the Democratic-controlled Common Council was beset by turmoil, with sniping during meetings and on social media.
And Davis was investigated by the city’s Board of Ethics and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office over allegations that included his use of a city credit card and Tonawanda’s hiring of his brother as a contractor. He denied wrongdoing and no evidence of ethical or criminal violations was found.
But Davis on Facebook recently brought attention to text messages and automated calls going out to voters that highlight some of the allegations against him. He blasted them as “personal attacks” and said his campaign would never send out anything without his explicit approval.
White, however, in his own Facebook post denied having anything to do with the anti-Davis messages and said, “I do not condone this activity against my opponent.”
– Steve Watson
Dems hope to challenge for control of Niagara County Legislature (9:36 p.m.)
The Niagara County Courthouse.
Republicans have controlled the Niagara County Legislature for 18 years, but Democrats made a concerted effort to change that Tuesday.
The GOP's 10-5 edge is being threatened by Democrats running against four of the Republican incumbents. But the GOP pushed to flip some of the Democrats' seats, too.
The Republican incumbents facing challengers were Legislature Chairwoman Rebecca J. Wydysh of Lewiston, who is running against Jamie L. Symmonds; Majority Leader Randy R. Bradt of North Tonawanda, challenged by Joseph J. Kissel; Irene M. Myers of Porter, opposed by Joseph M. Conti III; and Jesse P. Gooch of Wheatfield, facing Daryl P. Bodewes.
But the Democrats have to defend some seats, too. Incumbent Mark J. Grozio of Niagara Falls faces John L. Sczepczenski; and the City of Lockport's Anita Mullane is being challenged by Richard E. Abbott, a member of the Working Families Party running with the GOP endorsement.
Mullane-Abbott is one of the most interesting races on the ballot, but so is the Newfane-Somerset seat, which Republican John Syracuse is giving up to run for Newfane supervisor.
The GOP nominated Shawn A. Foti for the seat, but the Democrats ran Sarah Beilein Capen, daughter of former Niagara County Sheriff Thomas Beilein.
In Niagara Falls' 6th District, Minority Leader Dennis F. Virtuoso decided not to run for his 16th term for health reasons. The open seat attracted two city councilmen, Democrat William Kennedy II and Republican Christopher P. Voccio, both of whom decided they'd rather run for legislator than another Council term.
Two Democrats are running in the Falls' 4th District. Jeffrey Elder, who ran as an independent for mayor in 2019, won the primary over incumbent Owen T. Steed, but Steed ended up with the Conservative line as a vehicle to continue his re-election bid.
Unopposed for re-election are Democrat Christopher A. Robins of Niagara Falls and Republicans Richard L. Andres Jr. of North Tonawanda, David E. Godfrey of Wilson, Anthony J. Nemi and William J. Collins Sr. of Lockport and Michael A. Hill of Hartland.
– By Tom Prohaska
2005 set high water mark for sheriff's race turnout (9:25 p.m.)
This year's hot mayor’s race in Buffalo helps give Democrats an uncommon chance to win the race for Erie County sheriff.
The century’s high-water mark for voter turnout in the sheriff’s race was set in 2005, when Byron W. Brown first ran for Buffalo mayor, against Republican Kevin Helfer.
The high city turnout contributed to the almost 250,000 votes cast countywide in the sheriff’s race. But the conventional wisdom that the city’s concentration of Democratic voters would give a Democrat the sheriff’s office didn’t hold. Republican Timothy B. Howard won his first term, by about 3 percentage points, over retired Buffalo police detective Charles Fieramusca, the Democrat.
This time, though, the Republican candidate is running in a split field. John C. Garcia could lose votes to Republican Ted DiNoto, who is running as an independent, and Karen Healy-Case, who has the Conservative line.
Those factors may put the wind at Democratic candidate Kimberly Beaty’s back.
– By Matthew Spina
Democrats take early voting edge in North Tonawanda (9:19 p.m.)
Austin Tylec, left, and Robert Pecoraro.
North Tonawanda Democrats have had little success at the polls in recent years, with Austin J. Tylec's alderman-at-large win in 2017 their sole recent bright spot.
But it looks like Democrats turned out strongly in early voting this year in the Lumber City.
The early voting results, posted right after the 9 p.m. poll closing by the Niagara County Board of Elections, showed Tylec leading Republican Robert E. Pecoraro for mayor, 178-87.
Democrats also led for city clerk-treasurer, all four Council seats on the NT ballot, and the only contested County Legislature race in a district solely within the city limits.
However it turns out at the end of the night when today's votes are tallied – it's become a political truism that Republicans don't like to vote early – at least Democrats in the Lumber City can point to their performance between Oct. 23 and 31 as a success.
- By Tom Prohaska
At election night party, GOP boss is feeling confident (9:12 p.m.)
Erie County Republican Chairman Karl J. Simmeth Jr. says he likes his party's chances in 2021
The Erie County Republican Committee is gathering at The Avant in Buffalo, expecting 75 to 100 people in a first-floor event room on a night when they’re hopeful to make gains in key seats across the county.
“I think it's going to be a real good year for Republicans,” GOP Chairman Karl Simmeth told The Buffalo News just before 9 p.m. “I've been wrong before, but I feel real good this year.”
He believes voters are paying attention to national politics this year and could vote Republican as they feel pain at the gas pump, see inflation rising and in the aftermath of the "unmitigated disaster we had over in Afghanistan."
In addition to several town races, Simmeth sees opportunity for Republicans in the comptroller race, where Lynne Dixon is running against Democrat Kevin Hardwick. He also has high hopes in the sheriff’s race, where Republican candidate John Garcia is squaring off against Democrat Kim Beaty and Ted DiNoto, who is running as an independent.
In the Erie County Legislature, Simmeth is specifically looking at the 9th District race, where Republican Frank Bogulski is running against Democratic incumbent John Gilmour. He’s also watching the 5th District, where Republican Rich Wilkinson is taking on Democratic incumbent Jeanne Vinal.
“I think Frank Bogulski’s got a real good chance at winning,” Simmeth said. “Frank's worked hard. Rich Wilkinson in in the fourth district - He's been working hard.
“But Frank has really been pounding the pavement and he's been having fundraisers.”
As for who is expected at tonight’s Republican gathering, Simmeth said Garcia is having his own watch party in Grand Island. Dixon is expected to attend, as well as all Republican candidates for county legislature, he added.
Polls have closed ... and now we play the waiting game (9 p.m.)
It's 9 p.m. and the polls are now closed across the state.
If you were a true procrastinator and showed up in the last minutes of voting, poll workers will allow ballots to be cast after 9 p.m., provided the voter was at least in line before the deadline.
The Erie County Board of Elections is expected to quickly release the results of early votes cast beginning Oct. 23 through Sunday, which should give an early indication of where races are headed.
We will have live results posted shortly, when vote totals across the region begin to trickle in.
– By Eric DuVall
Board upsizing scrambles voting in three towns (8:50 p.m.)
Alden voters are deciding for the third time today how many members there should be on their Town Board: three or five?
Alden is the last of five towns in Erie County to have three members, after downsizing when activist Kevin Gaughan promoted it 12 years ago. There are two councilwomen and one supervisor serving on the Alden Town Board. If the increase is approved, two council seats would be added.
Orchard Park and Evans voters already approved increasing their boards to five members as of Jan. 1. Today's vote in those two towns includes the two new seats. And because of that, there are three councilman seats being filled in each town: two for four-year terms and one for a two-year term.
Orchard Park ran into issues with the three-member board last year when Supervisor Patrick Keem resigned. That left two board members: one Democrat and one Republican.
The two appointed a non-voting deputy supervisor, but have gone this year with just two voting members. That means every vote they take must be unanimous to pass.
– By Barbara O'Brien
What to watch for in Erie County Legislature races (8:37 p.m.)
Though all 11 Erie County Legislature seats are technically up for election, only two have been involved in active fund raising and campaigning in the general election.
It would come as a major surprise for the Republican Party, which lost the Legislature majority in 2018, to regain it this election cycle, given the political makeup of the legislative districts that are now being contested.
But Republicans believe they have a reasonable shot at knocking off at least one of the incumbent Democrats, especially since the both the 9th District and 5th District seats are occupied by incumbents who have occupied their seats for only two years.
The races to watch:
• Incumbent Democrat John Gilmour and Republican challenger Frank Bogulski in the 9th District, which covers Hamburg, Lackawanna and South Buffalo
• Incumbent Democrat Jeanne Vinal and Republican challenger Rich Wilkinson in the 5th District, in Amherst.
– Sandra Tan
Amherst GOP hoping attacks over development proposals net them a seat at the table (8:30 p.m.)
Aerial view of the former Westwood Country Club, part of a land swap at the heart of $300 million in proposed development in central Amherst. Town Republicans are blasting Democrats over the plans as campaigning wraps up for the 2021 Town Board races.
Amherst Republicans want to knock off Supervisor Brian J. Kulpa and gain a foothold on the all-Democratic Town Board in an election where management of development is a central issue.
Kulpa won his first term in 2017, when Democrats swept to power, and is opposed by Republican Jay DiPasquale. Councilwoman Jacqualine Berger and Councilman Shawn Lavin are challenged by the GOP’s Dan Rider and Ray Herman.
The Republicans, with their allies in the newly formed United for Amherst Party, have attacked Democrats over a tentative agreement with Mensch Capital Partners – the developers who own the former Westwood Country Club – that’s set to guide hundreds of millions of dollars of future development in central Amherst.
United for Amherst has blasted the town for selling 15 acres of athletic fields to make way for a medical complex near the town’s Northtown Center facility and for promising to sell another 38 acres, saying the deals weren’t negotiated transparently. The criticism continued Oct. 25, when United for Amherst held a rally at the Northtown Center that offered the GOP candidates one more chance to attack the incumbents over the "destruction" of recreational venues.
Democrats say the town is building upgraded fields to replace those lost and public input was part of the planning process.
It’s unclear whether enough people are upset about Kulpa’s Amherst Central Park project planning to allow the GOP to make gains in Tuesday’s election. Democrats hold the supervisor’s seat and all four council seats in upstate’s most populous town, where they have a 43% to 29% edge over Republicans among registered voters.
– Stephen T. Watson
Town of Tonawanda Democrats seek to maintain exclusive power (8:16 p.m.)
Town of Tonawanda Republicans have tried to paint their opponents as unable to boost development, soft on crime and willing to outsource vital town services.
It’s not certain whether the political criticisms will be enough for the GOP to overcome Democrats’ advantages of enrollment and incumbency in a town where they’ve won every Town Board election since 2007 and where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a whopping 46% to 27% among registered voters.
There has been considerable turnover on the Town Board, though, where Councilwoman Shannon Patch won her seat in 2019 and Councilwoman Jill O'Malley was appointed earlier this year. They are running for re-election with fellow Democrat Gina Santa Maria, who seeks a seat that is coming open this year.
The Republican candidates are Stephen Brown, Scott Marciszewski and Caren Paterniti.
They say Democrats have created an unfavorable business climate and, by accepting the Working Families Party endorsement, don’t support police. Democrats point to large investments by major employers such as GM and Sumitomo Rubber and say they’ve increased the Police Department budget.
One GOP broadside centers on Santa Maria’s acceptance of a $500 donation from Modern Landfill, which provides recycling and trash collection services but not in the town.
Both Marciszewski, in an interview, and Brown, on Facebook, have raised this as an issue.
Santa Maria responded to the Republicans’ line of attack by saying she doesn't support privatizing those services.
– Stephen T. Watson
Beaty grabs another $21K for final blitz (8:10 p.m.)
Republican candidate John C. Garcia has been raising more campaign money in the race for Erie County sheriff than his Democratic challenger, Kimberly Beaty. But Beaty grabbed far more than Garcia in the final week before Election Day.
Beaty’s campaign told the state Board of Elections it received $21,500 from five donors since Oct. 28. The biggest sums came from the Erie County Democratic Committee, which delivered another $10,000, and Eric Eve of Brooklyn, a son of former state Assembly Speaker Arthur O. Eve Sr., D-Buffalo. Eric Eve, a political consultant, gave the Beaty campaign $5,000 on Monday.
Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner said the party was determined to buy more broadcast advertising to counter Garcia's messaging.
Garcia’s campaign told the state Board of Elections it received about $3,500 since Oct. 28, which includes $2,500 from the county Republican Committee.
Candidate Ted DiNoto, a Republican running as an independent, received $5,000 Friday from Clarence businessman Albert Nemmer Sr., according to a DiNoto report to the Elections Board.
A fourth candidate on the ballot, Conservative nominee Karen Healy-Case, has shut down her campaign.
– Matt Spina
How many votes will it take to win in Hamburg? (8 p.m.)
Candidates often say the key to winning a race is turnout. By that they mean getting more of their voters out to the polls than their opponent.
But how many does that mean for the supervisor's race in Hamburg?
At first glance in Hamburg, it seems the Democrats have the edge. There are 17,561 Democrats, which is 5,000 more than Republicans. But there also are nearly 9,200 voters not enrolled in any party.
And while Erie County voted for President Joe Biden last year, Donald Trump garnered just over 17,000 votes in the town and won Hamburg by 242 votes.
But it shouldn't take 17,000 votes to win the supervisor's seat this year.
James M. Shaw won the supervisor's job four years ago with more than 10,000 votes. And four years before that, Supervisor Steven Walters won re-election with about 7,300 votes.
Democratic candidate for supervisor Randy Hoak said his focus was on getting out the vote. Meanwhile his opponent, Erie County Comptroller Stefan I. Mychajliw Jr., a Republican, said he was tapping into senior citizens and Democratic voters.
– Barbara O'Brien
