Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz successfully secured a fourth term in office on Tuesday, declaring victory against Republican challenger Chrissy Casilio by a vote of about 3:2.
Following her defeat on Tuesday, Casilio gave an emotional and tearful concession speech.
"I truly believe that you learn more about someone's character in defeat than in success," Casilio opened.
"When I entered this race, I saw a need in our community and I truly believed that this campaign brought those issues to light. I ran to make a better future for my children. I'm proud of how far this campaign has come and the people of Western New York that I had the privilege of meeting and the friends that I've made along the way. If we wanted everything we did, we're not challenging ourselves enough. I'm looking forward to staying involved and continuing to do the hard work necessary to be an advocate for families, taxpayers, and small businesses that have been ignored and left behind."
In addition to her round of thank yous, she mentioned that she called Poloncarz to congratulation him on the victory. A move that Poloncarz says hasn't always happened following his victories.
"I congratulated him, I wished him a happy birthday. I wished him a successful fourth term. You know, at the end of the day, I'm a resident of Erie County. I'm raising my kids in Erie County. I want him to be successful. We need to have good government, and we need to have a county that is run well. So I wish him the best of luck and I hope he does a good job."
Casilio says she had learned many things throughout the campaign, she spoke to media following her concession speech.
"I've learned how to be brave. I've learned that not everybody's [going to be] like me. I've learned that there are some really good people in this community. I would say, the most rewarding thing about this entire campaign has been meeting all the different people in Erie County and learning about the different stories and what we're going through. I still think that there's a lot of potential for change, growth and great things to happen in this county. I hope to see that someday soon."
Related
