All campaign committees involved in primary elections this year were required to file their financial disclosure reports with the state Board of Elections on May 26. Several Democratic and Republican primaries are worth noting. The campaign account information for transactions reported since January 2023 includes the following:
Buffalo, Ellicott District Councilmember, Democratic primary. Matt Dearing; raised $11,816; spent $8,742; has $3,073 remaining. Leah Halton-Pope: raised $45,644, with approximately a third of the money coming from donors with addresses in New York City and other parts of the state outside of Erie County; spent $10,224; balance $35,420. Neither Cedric Holloway nor Emim Eddie Egriu had a financial report on file as of May 30.
Buffalo, Lovejoy District Councilmember, Democratic primary. Incumbent Bryan Bollman: raised $16,631; spent $5,176; balance $22,268. Mohammed Uddin: raised $ 15,716; spent $11,835; balance $3,881.
Buffalo, Masten District Councilmember, Democratic primary. Zeneta Everhart: raised $63,858, about 10 percent of which came from donors with addresses outside of Erie County; spent $43,809; balance $20,049. India Walton: raised $22,280, of which $4,270 was unitemized; spent $11,902; balance $13,165. The Walton Committee did not file its required January 2023 report.
Buffalo, North District Councilmember, Democratic primary. Incumbent Joe Golombek: raised $24,894; spent $20,596; balance $55,211. Eve Shippens: raised $14,488; spent $18,107; balance $3,774.
Buffalo, University District Councilmember, Democratic primary. Incumbent Rasheed Wyatt: raised $6,490; spent $12,618; balance $10,218. Kathryn Franco: raised $7,846; spent $5,943; balance $2,421.
Erie County Legislature, 10th District, Republican and Conservative primaries. Incumbent James Malczewski raised $37,527; spent $6,673; balance $31,342. Lindsay Lorigo: raised $10,930; spent $1,593; balance $9,337. Expect spending in this race to ramp up considerably over the next four weeks.
City of Tonawanda, Council President, Democratic primary. Incumbent Jenna Koch: raised $878; spent $728; balance $590 . Mary Ann Cancilla: has no financial data in her report.
Alden Supervisor, Republican primary. Neither Alecia Barrett nor Colleen Paulter had a financial report on file as of May 30.
Grand Island Supervisor, Republican primary. Peter Marston: raised $1,170; spent; $4,269; balance $2,516. Michael Madigan: raised $2,925; spent $2,925; balance $0.
Marilla Supervisor, Republican primary. Neither Incumbent Earl Gingerich nor Jennifer Achman had a financial report on file as of May 30.
There are 8 Democratic and 10 Republican primaries including those for the offices of highway superintendent (Cheektowaga); councilmember (City of Tonawanda, Alden, Orchard Park, Wales); town clerk (Marilla); and town justice (West Seneca). There are 10 Conservative Party primaries for County Legislature, Lackawanna and City of Tonawanda offices, and town offices. The Working Families Party has two primaries for town offices.
The next financial reports are due on June 16th. The primary elections will be held on June 27th.
Asylum seekers
When they cannot come up with relevant issues to discuss in a campaign, some candidates gravitate to matters that can create confusion or fear. Such is the discussion now occurring about housing or not housing asylum seekers.
An alien who seeks asylum is a person who has left their country where their life or freedom may be threatened on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion..
As far as I can determine there were no Casilio’s; or Lorigo’s; or Malczewski’s; or Kruly’s on that first shipload of asylum seekers who landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620.
Those of us with ancestors who came long after that date, particularly in the latter half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, got into this country at various locations and under rules and regulations that were certainly different and in many cases looser than the immigration laws that we know about today. Many came to escape various forms of persecution in their native lands. Not all of those who arrived 100 to 175 years ago became good citizens, but most did. Some had names that were difficult to pronounce. They didn’t all speak English. They accepted some of the most backbreaking jobs available in order to support their families. You know their descendants today as your family, friends and neighbors.
History has a way of repeating itself.
Ken Kruly writes about politics and other stuff at politicsandstuff.com
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