POLITICS: GOP’s list of Reynolds’ replacements narrows

Local News

March 24, 2008

By Mark Scheer/scheerm@gnnewspaper.com The Niagara Gazette Mon Mar 24, 2008, 06:25 PM EDT

The field of possible Republican replacements for outgoing U.S. Rep. Tom Reynolds continued to narrow Monday.

On the heels of New York state Sen. George Maziarz’s announcement that he’s not interested in shuffling off to Washington, D.C., another potential candidate for the job decided he too wanted to pull his name from consideration.

New York state Assemblyman Daniel Burling, R-Warsaw, announced Monday that he’d rather continue to represent the Assembly’s 147th District where he has served since 1998. The 61-year-old lawmaker whose district covers parts of Wyoming, Livingston and Allegany counties said, like Maziarz, he’d rather stay in the state Legislature and do a job that allows him to spend more time closer to home.

“I think there’s a lot of work to be done on behalf of people of New York state,” said Burling, who actually succeeded Reynolds in the state Assembly when the Clarence Congressman moved on to Washington.

While Burling was among those mentioned as a possible replacement candidate, Maziarz was widely considered the early favorite for the Republican nomination.

Their departures allow state Assemblyman James Hayes, R-Williamsville, to jump closer to the top of the list.

On Monday, Hayes, said he’s still very much interested in pursuing the job and is continuing to talk over the possibility with his family, friends and GOP leaders.

“I’m just continuing to have the conversations that I started to have a few days ago,” he said.

In the running on the Democratic side, so far, are: Iraq War veteran Jonathan Powers of Clarence, who’s already gained five of seven county committee endorsements; Amherst attorney Alice Kryzan; and two-time Reynolds challenger John R. “Jack” Davis, the Akron-based industrialist who won the Niagara County vote in both the 2004 and 2006 House elections.

Erie County Clerk Kathleen Hochul also is said to be considering a candidacy, according to Erie County Democratic Committee Chairman Leonard Lenihan.

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