Just one day remains before voters head to the polls for primary voting day. One of those on the ballot is the Democratic primary for the New York State Senate's 61st District.
The primary features two candidates with long histories in local Democratic politics: State Sen. Jeremy Zellner and Assemblymember Jon Rivera.
Zellner has had the seat since February of this year. He defeated Republican Amherst businessman Dan Gagliardo in February's special election to fill the vacancy left by Sean Ryan when he was elected mayor of Buffalo.
The district covers Amherst, Grand Island, the city and town of Tonawanda, and neighborhoods in the northwest section of Buffalo.
"I want to get things done. I want to stand up for issues that are critical for our community," Zellner told BTPM NPR. "But I want to also get the resources that our community deserves. And we represent a vast district of that's very diverse. You have some of the poorest people in our community and some of the wealthiest people in our community."
Zellner is a seasoned behind-the-scenes political official, but the State Senate race is his first foray into elected government office. Since 2012 he has served as chair of the Erie County Democratic Committee and served as a county Board of Elections commissioner.
"Serving as party leader for the time that I have has really prepared me by working with so many elected officials to show me how to be an elected official, to show me how to get things done," he said.
Rivera announced his intention to seek the seat back in October, before Ryan had won the Buffalo mayoral general election. He was vice chairman of Ryan's campaign.
"I think people are interested in a new sort of generation of leadership and a new generation kind of candidate," Rivera said at his announcement.
Ultimately it was Zellner who was selected by the Erie County Democratic Committee for the seat's February special election. That process has now become a common talking point for Rivera, and what he sees as shortcomings in party politics.
"People are just being placed into positions. Voters are not being heard," Rivera said. "We see it in the national level, but we see it right in our backyard, and it's also the hypocrisy. It leaves people with a bad taste in their mouth."
Zellner said he was encouraged by "many" elected officials to run for the seat.
"I wasn't going to not run for office because I happen to be a leader of the Democratic Party," he said. "I think, in fact, it only adds to what I can accomplish in Albany,"
Both Zellner and Rivera are utilizing New York State's Public Campaign Financing Program. It launched in 2022, and voluntarily allows candidates for State Senate races to be eligible up to $375,000 in matching donations of public money. The matching utilizes a ratio for small donations only — considered $250 or under.
According to an analysis of financial disclosures published by the Investigative Post, candidates for the 61st District seat since November have spent a combined $2 million. Zellner has spent nearly three times as much as Rivera, and both candidates have transferred money from previous campaign committees in their name.
Zellner said he's listened to his constituents during his several months in Albany and has made traction on hot-button issues.
"We've been able to deliver a lot of resources into the community and stand strong on policy issues like New York for All and the New York Health Act, and we've really were able to get a lot of things done with immigration to protect our community and protect our residents," he said. "We really worked hard to put the moratorium in place for data centers, and that's really resonating with folks."
Rivera, too, has supported those efforts on healthcare, immigration and data centers.
"This moratorium is about ensuring that New Yorkers have the time to ask questions, to examine the facts, and to make informed decisions before a project that could consume hundreds of megawatts of electricity moves forward," Rivera said alongside advocates against the proposed data canter on River Road in Tonawanda. "The public deserves clear answers about how it will affect energy reliability, affordability, and our environment."
More than 8,000 total ballots were cast during early voting in Erie County, with 4,126 of those being for the 61st State Senate Democratic primary. It was the highest of four primaries for voters this year.
Early voting ended on Sunday, with polls closed Monday. They'll reopen for primary day voting on Tuesday, June 23 from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. across the county.
