Erie County’s legislature will see the return of an experienced lawmaker come January.
With 55% of the vote, Republican Ed Rath III defeated Democrat Rathi Ravi in the race for Erie County’s 6th legislative district Tuesday night. Legislator Christopher Greene, who has been representing Clarence, Newstead and part of Amherst since 2021, did not run for re-election this year. Rath, who previously served 13 years in the county legislature and later served in the New York State Senate, will return after a seven-year absence from county hall.
"I've been very fortunate that I was a county legislator, then a state senator, and what I learned a long time ago was to listen twice as much as you speak or as much as you act," Rath told BTPM News. "So I'm going to start my listening tour very soon, going out talking to the people and following up, talking to the business community, and making sure that we understand fully starting Jan. 1 what our responsibility is."
He believes county government can tackle a lot for the community.
"I think it's a tie between public safety and defending and protecting the health and the well-being of the residents, as well as the affordability emergency," Rath said. "There are things we can do in county government to address the affordability emergency."
In terms of affordability, Rath echoed re-elected legislator Frank Todaro in discussing the county gas tax and the cost of utilities.
Rath will take office in January. Republicans will head into next year still sizably in the minority of the county legislature.
