By Associated Press
Buffalo, NY – The Republican Party in Erie County is parting ways with one of its top elected leaders.
Erie County Republican Chairman Bob Davis says the party is separating itself from County Executive Joel Giambra.
Republicans blame their defeats in several local elections on Giambra's handling of the county's budget crisis. Voters rejected many GOP candidates who share the same party as Giambra, who wasn't up for election.
Giambra was a Democrat who switched to the Republican Party before running for county executive. He has two more years left in his term.
He says the county's Republican leaders share in the blame for the budget crisis because they failed to secure enough GOP votes for a sales tax increase.