BUFFALO, N.Y. — After days of speculation, U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., made it official, announcing Sunday that he would be leaving Congress with the first week of February being his last in Washington.
The congressman, who represented New York’s heavily Democratic 26th Congressional District (Buffalo, Lackawanna, Niagara Falls, Tonawanda and North Tonawanda), said his decision followed what he called political dysfunction on Capitol Hill, saying that some of his colleagues' focus on media attention is taking away from his ability to serve Western New Yorkers.
“Congress is not the institution I went to 19 years ago,” Higgins said. “It's a very different place. “There was a time where leadership could discern between what was serious and what was not. Unfortunately, those days are over.”
Higgins pointed to Moody’s recent downgrade of America’s debt from stable to negative — and its reasoning that political polarization led to the rating — as one indication that Congress is trending in the wrong direction.
Throughout his time, Higgins earned a reputation for being more focused on Western New York’s future than the nation’s.
In his nine-and-a-half terms, he is perhaps most well-known for his legal battle with the New York Power Authority in 2005, resulting in a $279 million settlement that led to the revitalization of Buffalo’s waterfront.
He also notably worked with benefits and pushed the FAA to institute stricter requirements after the crash of Flight 3407 in Clarence Center due to pilot error, which killed 50.
“For me, it was never about Wall Street or J Street, or even Main Street,” Higgins said. “It was about the neighborhood streets where real people live and struggle every day.”
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, and state senators Tim Kennedy and Sean Ryan took the moment to thank Higgins for his past efforts in statements, but not without eyeing the future as all four politicians are all considered possible candidates for Higgins’ soon-to-be vacant seat.
It is expected that there will be a special election in early 2024 after Higgins officially sends his resignation to Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Higgins did not specifically saying what his next steps are, but sources told 2 On Your Side he will assume the role of president and CEO of Shea’s Performing Arts Center.