Dan Gagliardo says his more than 40 years experience in the private sector makes him a prime candidate for the 61st New York State Senate seat.
And, that's why seven weeks after losing the Amherst Town Supervisor race's Shawn Lavin, Gagliardo has thrown his political hat into the race for the State Senate seat that Sean Ryan is vacating next week to assume his new role as Buffalo mayor.
"I want to finish what I started," Gagliardo said.
Gagliardo is the third candidate - and the first Republican - to seek Ryan's seat.
The other candidate - both Democrats - are Jeremy Zellner, Erie County Democratic Party chairman and State Assemblyman Jon Rivera. All three will compete in a special election, presumably set for early February - to fill Ryan's seat.
Primaries are set for late June, although Republican Party insiders doubt Gagliardo will face a primary night challenge while Zellner and Rivera may also face off in the June ballot.
Gagliardo said he will also run in November's general election.
Gagliardo will focus on three main issues: taxes and the economy, crime rates and his private sector background including running D'Aviolo restaurant.
As a small business owner, Gagliardo said he has boots-on-the-ground experience in knowing how New York state makes its tough to operate from a private sector perspective.
"I'm the only candidate who knows what it is like to make payroll," Gagliardo said.
After handily winning a Republican Party primary in the Amherst supervisor's race, Gagliardo lost to Shawn Lavin, a Democrat, in November's general election.
Lavin garrnered 53% of the vote, or 16,383 votes, to Gagliardo's 14,509 or 47% of the vote.