BUFFALO, N.Y. — As you probably heard Congressman Brian Higgins made it official Sunday that he plans to shed that title and leave Washington come February.
So now the focus will turn to potential replacement candidates and to party leaders about who might fill that 26th District Congressional seat.
We heard a bit from some of them on Monday.
Erie County Democratic Party Chairman Jeremy Zellner says he and his Democratic counterpart in Niagara County -Chris Borgatti - will eventually endorse someone.
As ranking party leaders show their support in this heavily Democratic district including the cities of Buffalo and Niagara Falls probably guarantees that person will win unless there is some sort of major upset or factional split.
We have heard some top-tier Democratic names including recently reelected Erie County Executive Poloncarz, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, and State Senators Tim Kennedy and Sean Ryan.
Zellner would not get into specifics, but it's clear contacts have been and will be made even before Higgins submits his formal resignation.to Governor Hochul. She will set a special election date with potential primaries as well for next year's regular election...so here are the Chairman's comments and one of the names on the potential list.
"We will have a process to endorse a candidate to run for this seat in the primary for next year. We will also nominate a candidate in a special election if and when there is one next year as well. I anticipate that person being the same person that we get through this process. Because the petitions hit the streets in February. So we wanna be ready to go and endorse a candidate that we're gonna include in our packets when we do this for next year," Zellner said.
"So this does leave room for the public- anyone who wants to run can still petition their way on the ballot and run in the primary and could potentially run in a general. And it also allows all the other parties to nominate a candidate for a special election. So there will be a Democratic, Republican, Conservative, and Working Families for that special as well."
Channel 2 Photojournalist Franco Ardito also pressed State Senator Ryan on his potential interest. When asked if he would explore the idea.
"It's just way too early in the game. As I said the Congressman is not gonna resign for several months. So there's a lotta time between now and then. I'm deeply committed to representing Western New York in the New York State Senate and I won't have any other comment on that," Ryan responded.
Campaign financing will not be easy since state funds cannot be used at the federal level. But it is expected the endorsed candidate will figure out a way to make it work.