The Democratic tides in Western New York turned Tuesday, when two non-committee-endorsed candidates came away victorious.
Assemblymember Jon Rivera was successful in his attempt to unseat incumbent Jeremy Zellner for the Democratic nomination for the 61st State Senate District.
Speaking to supporters at Indigo Chapel, Rivera credited labor unions, volunteers and community organizers for powering the campaign. He cited direct voter engagement as a key to his victory over fundraising advantages.
"The gratitude I'm feeling is like something I've never felt before," he said. "We went to where people were. We listen to people, we engage with people, we didn't expect anything, we weren't entitled to anything, we fought for every vote."
The early voting and primary day results showed Rivera the victor, 54%-45% with more than 18,300 votes cast.
Adam Bojak, who Rivera endorsed to be his successor, claimed the nomination for Rivera's soon-to-be-vacated149th Assembly District seat, defeating, among others, Democratic committee-endorsed Karen Hoak.
Bojak, an attorney, took 50% of the vote, followed by Hoak (33%) and Kevin Deese (17%) with just under 8,000 votes cast.
"From the start, this has been all of ours' campaign, not just mine," Bojak said in his victory speech from inside Indigo Chapel. "Our campaign is about building a broad coalition to push all these things forward and take them to Albany with us."
Bojak, a democratic socialist, won support from Sen. Bernie Sanders during the campaign, a central figure in progressive politics.
As an attorney, Bojak specializes in tenants' rights and organized labor work. He said he'll take that same mindset to Albany.
Rivera said his and Bojak’s victories indicate "an appetite for a different kind of Democrat."
"We listen to voters, and that's what's going to be the key to victory in governing. We're going to listen to people, and we're going to be there for them," he said.
Zellner took to the stage at Britesmith Brewing in Buffalo to thank his supporters and his family.
He has led the Erie County Democratic Committee since 2012, but after Sean Ryan vacated the 61st State Senate seat to become Buffalo's mayor, Zellner secured his committee's endorsement for a victorious February special election.
That monthslong tenure in the state senate now will end in January.
"It's all about producing for the community, and that you want to represent. So, again, I know this isn't the outcome, and I am very appreciative," Zellner said in his concession speech. "You have no idea of what it means to have people go knock on doors like my cousin Kurt did for 8-10 hours just this weekend. People taking time away from their jobs to go stand at polling places today."
The 61st District covers Grand Island, Amherst, the City and Town of Tonawanda and portions of six Buffalo wards.
After losing Tuesday’s primary, the focus becomes how to help local Democratic candidates maximize results, Zellner added.
I'm really excited to try to take back Congress starting tomorrow, to try to take back the Erie County Clerk's Office starting tomorrow,” he said. “Try to win back a few of our state legislative seats, starting tomorrow. That's really where the work begins.”
Hoak, a former Hamburg Town Councilmember, thanked her supporters, and said "voters of the 149th won," with a pledge to work together and support Bojak.
"Tonight did not go the way that I hoped that it would, but I stand here before you, incredibly grateful to have been your candidate. This race has taught me so much about who we are as Western New Yorkers and who our voters are," Hoak said in her concession speech. "We had three candidates who worked very hard to win this race. Many people commented how similar our platforms were, and so tonight I can say that the voters of the 149th won."
The 149th spans much of Buffalo's West Side and expands south into Hamburg and Lake View.
In another primary with Western New York ties, St. Bonaventure professor Aaron Gies defeated Kenmore attorney Kevin Stocker, 71%-29%, for New York's 23rd Congressional District.
Gies will now head to November's general election as the Democrat against Rep. Nick Langworthy.
Langworthy, the former chair of the New York Republican Party, has served in the position since 2023.
The district composes portions of southern Erie County and much of the Southern Tier.
Cook Partisan Voting Index rates NY-23 Republican +10, signifying a stronghold for the GOP.
