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UPDATE: County incumbents lose primaries, Dems choose Luczkowiak

In a vote with low turnout, two sitting Chautauqua County legislators have lost primary challenges.

Susan Parker has won her primary election challenge of Christine Starks for the Chautauqua County Legislature’s seat representing District 4 by an 151-32 vote. Starks had been endorsed by the county Democratic Party, but Parker challenged in the primary. There is no Republican challenger in the district, though Starks is still endorsed by the Working Families Party.

In District 18, Martin Proctor ran a primary against sitting legislator Bill Ward, with Proctor winning, 285 to 105. Proctor is also endorsed by the Conservative Party while Ward is endorsed by the Democratic Party. The primary is a reversal from the 2019 primary in which Ward defeated Richard Syper in a primary by a 289-152 vote.

In Dunkirk, in the most hotly-contested primary on the ballot Tuesday, Natalie Luczkowiak has defeated Don Williams 427-266 for the Democratic Party’s nomination for the Ward 1 seat on the Dunkirk Common Council. Williams, the incumbent, circulated petitions to force the primary after the Dunkirk Democratic Party chose to endorse Luczkowiak earlier this year.

Tuesday’s win gives Luczkowiak two lines on the ballot for the November election, while Williams can still run as a third-party candidate. There is no Republican Party candidate endorsed for the seat.

Ripley voters, meanwhile, have chosen Donald W. Henry and Julie A. Rice, with 77 and 73 votes, respectively, to be the endorsed Republican candidates for the Ripley Town Board.

Arkwright highway superintendent primary for the Republican Party’s endorsement between Lisa Waldron and James Ziemba, was won by Waldron 30-22 and the race between Russell Payne and Laura Smith for the Republican endorsement for Carroll town supervisor was 191-110 in favor of Payne.

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