Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - It has been just over a week since Rep. Brian Higgins (NY-26) formally announced he will be resigning from Congress effective early February. This comes after serving Western New York for nearly two decades in the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C.
The news of Higgins' impending departure from the nation's capital was unfortunate to hear for U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer.
"Brian has been a great partner working with me to help Western New York in so many different ways," said Sen. Schumer on Monday while in Buffalo. "First, he leaves a great legacy. I'm sorry, he's leaving, I would love him to stay. But he's served Western New York for so many years so well."
Higgins was first elected to represent the region in Congress back in 2005, but admitted the governing body in Washington is not the same institution he went to serve 19 years ago. The 64-year-old cites the recent division in Congress and American politics in general as part of the reasoning for his departure, and adds things will eventually get better, but predicts politics is at the beginning of a rough patch, not the end.
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While Sen. Schumer understands where Higgins is coming from with his sentiment, the Senate Majority Leader says there's still plenty of work to do in Washington to try and turn the tide on that trend.
"My job has always been to try and bring people together," he said. "In the last summer, where we had the most successful Senate in 30 years, of our seven big bills, six were bipartisan. So you've got to keep working at it, it's not easy, but I'm continuing to work at bringing people together and getting things done."
As for who may be in the running to succeed Higgins for New York's 26th Congressional district going forward, Schumer says it's too early to tell or comment on the matter, but does leave open the possibility of endorsing a particular individual.
The only locally elected leader, at this point, to throw their hat into the ring for a run at Congress is State Sen. Tim Kennedy.
Others like Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown says he is open to having a conversation about that seat when the appropriate time is right, while those like State Sen. Sean Ryan and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz have been mentioned as other possible candidates.
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Another potential name brought up in passing to fill the seat soon to be vacated in Congress by Higgins is current State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes.
While Peoples-Stokes is honored that people have mentioned her name to fill the NY-26 seat, she is still weighing her options early in the process.
"Those people probably know that in 1998, I actually ran for [Higgins' seat in the Assembly]. I think when Brian Higgins left [in 2005], I could have ran for it again, because I was already in a State Assembly. But honestly, I had just asked people to vote for me to be in the State Assembly. I think it's a bit disingenuous to ask people to vote for you for one position, and then allow your ambition to make you go to another level just because it's available," said Peoples-Stokes in an interview with WBEN on Monday. "So I am still weighing this. I have not said yes, and I have not said no."
Although Peoples-Stokes would be honored to be able to serve her community in Washington, D.C., she admits she's skeptical, like Higgins, of the direction things are heading at the federal level of government.
"If I think through my ancestors in this country and what they went through just even get the right to vote, it would be terrific honor to be there. But when I think about some of the people who are sitting there now, I'm not so sure," Peoples-Stokes said.
With that in mind, Peoples-Stokes feels she doesn't know that she would be able to do much to help clean up and correct some people's bad behavior in Washington. She does, however, hope that people would see her for who and what she represents in government.
"I think that is something that they have to have conversations out of their own heart and with their own God, but I do know that the way I was raised is you treat people like you want to be treated. I couldn't care less how they act towards me, if I got there," she said. "I will show them how a respectable person acts, particularly one that's been given the honor to serve a government like America's."
Meanwhile, with Higgins set to step down in February, it opens the possibility for the chance of a special election to fill the NY-26 seat for the remainder of the term through 2024. That special election would see the Erie County and Niagara County Democratic Committee come together and select a candidate to potentially run against a candidate selected by both counties' Republican Committee.
That candidate would likely then also have to win the primary vote for the seat, followed by a third win in the general election for the next term in Congress beginning in January 2025.
When it comes to the possibility of a special election for the remainder of Higgins' term in Washington, plus the upcoming election in 2024, Peoples-Stokes feels the people need to have as much access as possible to make a determination of who fills that seat in Washington.
"There's no way that should be decided any other way except through an election," Peoples-Stokes said.
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