BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Friday ruling at the Erie County Board of Elections blocked Mayor Byron Brown's attempt to get on the ballot for November's general election.
So now, if Buffalo's mayor is going to get his name on the ballot, he will have to win a court battle.
Democratic political analyst Ken Kruly joined 2 On Your Side's Maryalice Demler to talk about Friday's ruling.
Demler: First Ken, were you surprised today that both board of elections commissioners ruled against the mayor's request?
Kruly: No, not at all. The law is very clear that the law was changed when the primary was moved up to an earlier day, and the date for independent petitioners moved up, so I don't think that there was much much doubt about the whole thing.
Demler: All parties involved acknowledged today that this issue is heading to court. So, is that the next step, or do you suspect some other unconventional moves?
Kruly: Now, I think they'll probably go to court, they're probably federal court. I've heard of that. They're going to talk about it as a civil rights case. I don't imagine that there's going to be much to talk about. The mayor had the opportunity to be a candidate, he was a candidate in the primary last, he had the opportunity to get independent petitions done in May, he chose not to do it. He could have asked for perhaps the Republican or Conservative Party endorsements. He didn't do that, so he had plenty of opportunities. He didn't do it. But that won't stop people from going to court right now. I just don't think they're going to win.
"Extremes" is a good word for "I had plenty of opportunities." A veteran candidate, he has a team that should be knowing what the rules were. I think they just got caught flat-footed in the primary and lost. We didn't prepare for anything, and this is the consequences of it. But I I don't see how this is going to go any further. The mayor is supposed to be doing his write-in campaign, as he had planned for before, but it's not going to be quite as easy as having the name on the ballot. But it's still not that hard to write in a candidate's name these days."
Demler: Does this underscore the importance of a candidate having a ballot line?
Kruly: Yeah, I don't expect the court case to change anything. I think we'll be right back to where we were a couple of weeks ago before they decided to circulate these petitions.