By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – Erie County Republican Chairman Robert Davis told top party leaders this weekend that he is resigning. Davis presided over a party that has had unprecedented success since he took over ten years ago. But even he admits the past year has been a rather trying time for local Republicans.
Democrats outnumber Republicans by 137,000 people in Erie County. But the GOP under Davis' leadership has enjoyed much success. For most of his tenure, Republicans held three out of the top four elective offices in county government.
But hard times arrived last year. County Executive Joel Giambra, a Democrat turned Republican, took the brunt of the blame for the county's fiscal crisis. The Republicans lost the office of county comptroller. And Republican candidates running for the County Legislature were soundly defeated.
Still, Davis said he wanted to see the party through its turbulent times.
"It would have been easy to leave last year with all the turmoil surrounding the county's situation," Davis said. "I didn't leave. I stuck it out. I helped out candidates. We elected a sheriff. We elected a Supreme Court judge.
"This is a county with a 137,000 more Democrats than Republicans. We shouldn't even be on the same playing field."
Davis said the party succeeded for much of his tenure because it was able to attract credible candidates. And he expects that to continue under the party's new leadership. Davis also said this is the appropriate time for him to leave.
"I think it's important for this party as we enter the 2006 election season that we have a chairman in place who will be there at the beginning of the process," Davis said. "To change the chairmanship on the first of October would not be good for our candidates and the party."
Davis will call a meeting of his executive committee in the coming days. Members are then expected to approve his choice of Orchard Park attorney James Domagalski as interim chairman.