By WBFO News Staff
Buffalo, NY – Republican Congressman Tom Reynolds defeated democrat Jack Davis in a close race in the 26th congressional district. He celebrated his victory in Buffalo Tuesday night.
Reynolds faced the career fight of his life against Davis. While in the midst of his campaign battle, the powerful Republican found himself surrounded by the Mark Foley scandal. But Tuesday night he entered the Terrace room at the Statler to a crowd of cheering supporters. It was a victory, but Reynolds admitted that it was a tough race.
In State Senate races, only one incumbent was defeated, as Marc Coppola lost to Democrat Antoine Thompson in the 60th district. Coppola ran on the Independence Party line. Returning to the Senate are Democrat William Stachowski in the 58th district, Republican Dale Volker in the 59th, Republican Mary Lou Rath in the 61st and Republican George Maziarz in the 62nd.
In the state Assembly, the closest race of the night was in the 142nd district, where Republican incumbent Michael Cole defeated Laura Monte by a roughly 55 to 45 percent margin. Cole had won the seat in May in a special election following the death of Assemblywoman Sandra Lee Wirth.
The other two Republican incumbents also retained their seats, with Jack Quinn winning 67 percent of the vote in the 146th district and Jim Hayes defeating former Amherst Supervisor Susan Grelick in the 148th district by a 63 to 34 percent margin. In his campaign, Hayes pointed to negative points of Grelick's former administration.
In the 143rd district, Democrat Dennis Gabryszak defeated Jeffrey Sell with 70 percent of the vote. Gabryszak replaces retiring Assembly majority leader Paul Tokasz. Democratic incumbents won in their Assembly districts as well, with Robin Schimminger getting 73 percent of the vote in the 140th district, Crystal Peoples running unopposed in the 141st, Sam Hoyt with 76 percent in the 144th, and Mark Schroeder getting 78 percent of the vote in the 145th district. In Niagara County, Francine DelMonte won a fourth term with 56 percent of the vote in a three-way race in the 138th district.