Buffalo, NY (WBEN) The Buffalo Common Council will start 2024 by voting in a new president. As a busy political year begins, we also look forward to a special congressional election.
The race for Buffalo Common Council President comes down to two men: David Rivera and Chris Scanlon. Republican strategist Carl Calabrese has experience working with both men. "When I was in business in the lobbying business, I worked with him over many years. They are excellent legislators. And most importantly, they're, they're both men of high character, when they tell you, they're going to do something, and they give you your word, you can take it to the bank," says Calabrese. He says the council will be in good hands with either man.
But Jack O'Donnell of O'Donnell & Associates says there is one front runner. "It looks like Scanlon has the edge," says O'Donnell. He says it seems Scanlon either has the votes locked up or is very close to close to having them. The council holds its reorganizational meeting Tuesday.
Another big story in 2024 will be the special election to replace Brian Higgins in Congress' 26th congressional district. O'Donnell says right now the front runner is State Senator Tim Kennedy. "Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown has made some noises about running. But we haven't seen the same kind of campaign from him, though He certainly has a lot of supporters in the Democratic Party. So it really looks like it's Tim Kennedy's to have for the special election," explains O'Donnell.
O'Donnell and Calabrese agree it's unlikely to see a Republican challenge in the special election. "The numbers really favor a Democrat in this district," says O'Donnell. Calabrese says there's one type of candidate who may take a swing at the seat. "You might find someone who's never run before who wants to use this race as a launching pad to get his or her name known, to really learn the ins and outs of running a major campaign, fundraising, volunteers, message development, and they use it as a springboard for a later run," explains Calabrese.
Higgins' resignation to take over as Shea's president takes effect February 4th. After that date, Governor Hochul will call a special election.
