Adam Bojak (D) announced his candidacy for New York's 149th Assembly District, Friday — a day after the seat's current occupant, Jon Rivera (D), announced his own bid for Senate.
Bojak, a tenants' rights attorney, is running for Assembly to "stand up against corporate greed, protect and strengthen workers’ rights, and create a healthy, housed, and affordable future for all Western New Yorkers," according to a statement released by his campaign.
He is a member of the Erie County Democratic Committee and says he is a Democratic Socialist in his bio on X.
This will be Bojak's second attempt to represent the district in the state legislature after losing the 2020 Democratic primary to Rivera.
In that bid, Bojak's campaign pushed for affordable housing, fully funding schools and tackling "rampant wealth inequality" through "overhauling" New York's tax code according to his candidate survey on Ballotpedia.
But Bojak's announcement comes before the 149th Assembly seat is even open. A domino effect has to happen for him to run.
1. Sen. Sean Ryan needs to win the Buffalo mayoral election Nov. 4, and vacate his seat in the State Senate
2. Rivera would run for that Senate seat, which would open his Assembly seat
3. Bojak would run for Rivera's vacated Assembly seat.
BTPM NPR has reached out to the Erie County Democratic Committee Chair Jeremy Zellner for comment.
Zellner lashed out at Rivera's plan to run for Ryan's Senate seat, Thursday, calling it a "slap in the face" to voters and Democratic candidates since it came before the Nov. 4 general elections. Though he has made no formal announcement, Zellner is a likely candidate for that seat, and said he would have more to say after Nov. 4.
