The winners and losers in the races themselves have been determined, but, as is usually the case, not all winners and losers were decided when ballots were counted.
The Working Families Party didn’t have any primary day races in Erie County, but party chairman Tom Roulley said the labor voices his party represents were the winners — and also the difference — in at least two high profile Democratic primaries.
Jon Rivera won in his Democratic primary against incumbent State Senator Jeremy Zellner. Roulley said as he knocked on doors for Rivera in the 61st Senate District, what he heard was being ready for more progressive voices in government.
"I think people just want a lot more of that nowadays," said Roulley. "I don't think they want a lot of the established politicians as usual, [who are] more worried about being reelected than they're worried about governing and worrying about, you know, pleasing the status quo."
Roulley said both Rivera, and Adam Bojak, winner in the Democratic Primary in the 149th Assembly District, were willing to take progressive leaning stances. Neither candidate received the backing of the Democratic party establishment, but both have received Working Families Party backing.
Bojak also had endorsements from the Democratic Socialists of America, and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.
"When you have unions and labor and working families priority behind you, and the people behind you," Roulley said. "That means the message will get out. And I think the message resonated."
Currently, there is no Republican opponent in the 61st Senate District for Rivera in November. Amherst businessman Dan Gagliardo faced Zellner in February's special election, but weeks after his loss, he ended any further campaign.
Bojak will face Republican Hamburg Councilman Frank Bogulski in the general election.
With Jeremy Zellner’s primary loss, he will be leaving the State Senate at the end of the year. But don’t think that means he'll be leaving the local political scene — so said longtime observer Ken Kruly, who expects Zellner will be easily re-elected as the Erie County Democratic Party Chairman in September.
Kruly, who writes about the local political scene at politicsandstuff.com, said the party and its leadership has been very loyal to Zellner.
"I think at this point he's going to be re-elected as chairman. I would not be surprised, however, if someone or more than one person comes forward and decides they might want to run for chairman," said Kruly, adding that a successful campaign for chair would likely take months — not the weeks left until the September election.
He knows from personal experience. Kruly ran for Erie County Democratic Chairman in 2002, after then-chairman Steve Pigeon nearly bankrupted the party committee. Zellner has served as party chairman since 2012.
