By SAMANTHA MCDONNELL
OBSERVER Staff Writer
On Tuesday, area residents will turn out to the polls to vote for the next United States President. While at the polls, other important races will be decided on Nov. 6 by voters.
FEDERAL RACES
Besides President, there are two federal races area voters will be casting their vote.
U.S. Senator incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand (Democrat, Working Families, Independence) is running against Wendy Long (Republican, Conservative), Colia Clark (Green), Chris Edes (Libertarian) and John Mangelli (Constitution).
Members of Congress are up as well.
For Chautauqua and Cattaraugus County residents, voters will be selecting their representative for the 23rd Congress District. Incumbent Tom Reed Jr. (R, C, I) is running against Nate Shinagawa (D, WF) for the seat. Previously Chautauqua County was part of Brian Higgins' district which included Erie County. Along with Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties, the 23rd Congressional District includes Allegany County and goes east to Tioga County and north to the eastern part of Ontario County and Seneca County.
For Erie County residents in the OBSERVER circulation, voters will be selecting between Kathy Hochul and Chris Collins for the 27th district. Hochul is a congresswoman, but is running for a new district after the lines were redrawn; otherwise she would have had to run against Higgins, whose new district includes most of the city of Buffalo. Collins, meanwhile, is the former Erie County Executive. She is endorsed by the Democratic and Working Families parties. Collins, meanwhile, has the endorsement of the Republican and Conservative parties.
STATE RACES
In Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties, Incumbent Catharine Young (R, C, I) is running for state Senate 57th District in an uncontested race.
For southern Erie County residents who live in the state Senate's 60th District, incumbent Mark Grisanti (R) will take on Michael Amodeo (D). Also in the race are Charles Swanick (C) and Gregory Davis (WF). The 60th District spans from the town of Brant north around the city of Buffalo to Grand Island.
For state assembly, Incumbent Joseph Giglio (R, C, I) will take on Daniel Brown (D, WF) for the 148th District which encompasses Cattaraugus and Allegany counties as well as four towns in Steuben County.
For the 147th District, Christina Abt (D) and David DiPietro (R) will face off for the southern part of Erie County including the towns of Collins, Brant and Evans and parts of the Cattaraugus County Indian Reservation. The district also includes the southwest part of Erie County and Wyoming County.
For the 150th District, incumbent Andrew Goodell (R, C, I) will take on Rudy Mueller (D, WF) which covers all of Chautauqua County.
COUNTY
CHAUTAUQUA - Chautauqua County Court Judge John Ward (R, C, WF, I) is seeking re-election against challenger William Coughlin (D).
CATTARAUGUS - County Court Judge Ronald D. Ploetz (D, R, C, I) is running unopposed. For County Treasurer, Joseph G. Keller (D, R, C, I) is running unopposed. For County Coroner, David G. Siafakas (D) is running against Bradley M. Spink (R, C, I).
ERIE - District Attorney Frank Sedita (D, R, C, WF) is running for re-election unopposed. Kevin M. Carter (D, R, C, WF, I) is running unopposed for Family Court Judge. For County Comptroller David Shenk (D, WF) is running against Stefan Mychajiliw (R, C, I) to fill the vacancy after Mark Poloncarz was elected county executive last year.
LOCAL
CHAUTAUQUA - The following races are uncontested: In Charlotte, Mark LeBaron (D, R, C) is running for town of Charlotte Highway Superintendent; Robert N. Hubbard (R, C) is running for Dunkirk Town Justice; incumbent David Penharlow (R, C) is running for a vacancy on the Pomfret Town Board; Levern Gibson (D) is running for Ripley Town Justice; and Andrew Knight (D, R) is running for a seat on Ripley Town Council.
Residents in Ripley will also have a proposition to vote on. The proposition asks if the town shall appropriate $28,160, an increase of $2,560 for the Ripley Free Library Association. For the Cherry Creek Tax Assessor, the county Board of Elections did not receive any candidates ahead of time, so the write-in winner will be the declared winner.
CATTARAUGUS - In Cattaraugus County, there are also a number of local uncontested races. Diana Clabeaux (R) is running for a vacancy on the Dayton Town Council; Tammy Utley (D, R) will run for Perrysburg Town Clerk; Mary Stuhr (D) will run for a vacant seat on the Perrysburg Town Board; and Mark Schindler will run for Persia Town Justice.
For contested races, Ashley Milliman, (R) will run against Montgomery Sticek (Taxpayers Party) for Leon Town Justice; Jerome Ellis Sr. (People for Change) will run against Amy Brookover (Constitutionalist) for a vacancy on the Leon Town Board; and Perrysburg Town Justice Lori Dankert (D, R) will seek re-election against Constance M. Johnson (C, I).
ERIE - Walter C. Cain (D, R, C, I) is running against Matthew Smith (WF) for Collins Town Justice.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday. For a list of polling locations in Chautauqua County, visit www.co.chautauqua.ny.us/departments/boe/pages/default.aspx. For a list of polling locations in Cattaraugus County, visit www.cattco.org/board-elections and for a list of polling locations in Erie County, visit www.erieboe.com/.
Comments on this article may be sent to smcdonnell@observertoday.com
