Crystal Peoples-Stokes’ looming retirement from the State Assembly means her district will feature someone new for the first time in more than two decades. But one local political reformist is concerned her timing will mitigate the electoral and democratic process to choose a successor.
Waiting to announce her decision until just after the filing deadline prevents the option for a Democratic primary, giving a major leg up to Buffalo Common Councilmember Leah Halton-Pope as her preferred replacement, Buffalo attorney and political activist Paul Wolf said.
“The sad reality here is, whatever this Committee on Vacancies decides, that is going to be the representative for the next two years for that district," he said. "And that's not how democracy should work.”
Incumbents won state legislative races 97% of the time in New York during 2024's elections, according to Ballotpedia.
Anyone interested in running on the Democratic Party line can submit applications through Friday, said State Senator Jeremy Zellner, who also is Erie County Democratic Committee chairman. He and other members of the county committee, which include those who live outside the 141st District, then have a few days to choose who will represent the party during fall elections.
"It's a very short turnaround to be able to substitute someone to those petitions, and that has to be done by Tuesday, April 14," he said. "It's important that if there are folks that want to be heard and want to be considered, that they have the opportunity to come before the Committee to Fill Vacancies and speak their mind."
The timing of Peoples-Stokes' departure has beneficiaries, but it is not constituents, according to Wolf.
"This is how the party bosses like to play the game. You move people up the ladder, and it's all decided by party insiders," he said. "So if a council member is promoted to the New York State Legislature position, there's a vacancy that gets filled, but that doesn't get filled by an election. It should be. I see no reason why you couldn't have an election and 60 or 90 days and let the voters decide instead."
If Halton-Pope is selected as the Democratic nominee and goes on to win the fall general election, it would create a new vacancy on the Buffalo Common Council for 2027. The council would select a candidate of their choice to fill the one-year vacancy.
Both Republicans and Democrats in the state have been replaced in office this way.
"It's just a continual game of musical chairs. All decided without voter participation," said Wolf.
Candidates can run as independents in the general election without party nomination. But 1,500 signatures are required, as opposed to 500 if they were in a primary.
