By Mark Scott
Albany, NY – Governor Pataki says a special election will take place May 2nd to fill the state Assembly seat held by Sandra Lee Wirth.
Wirth died March 11th at her western New York home after a two-year struggle with cancer. She was 60. Wirth, a Republican, won the 1994 race to succeed longtime State Legislator Vincent Graber and was elected every two years after that. She represented the 142nd District which includes part of Erie and Niagara counties.
The Republicans Thursday endorsed Michael Cole for the seat. Cole is the town supervisor of Alden and the former general counsel for Representative Jack Quinn.
Several Democrats have also announced their candidacies. They include Jeffery Bono, a local political activist who ran against Wirth in the last election, and Laura Monty, a former aide to Senator Charles Schumer and Representative Louise Slaughter.