BUFFALO, N.Y. - The last time Donald Trump visited Western New York, on Jan. 31, 2014, he told reporters that Buffalo was "failing." The city could turn around, Trump said that night, but only if voters elected him Governor of New York.
At the time, Trump was very publicly weighing a run for the highest statewide office. He ultimately decided to stay out of the race.
But now Trump is running for President of the United States, and with a critical New York primary set for April 19, the billionaire candidate has chosen Buffalo as one of his final campaign stops in this state. According to multiple sources, Trump will hold a rally at First Niagara Center at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 17, two days before the primary. Nick Langworthy, the Erie County Republican Chairman, said he expects at least 20,000 people in the building.
On the heels of that announcement, 2 On Your Side learned Ted Cruz will visit Buffalo next week. Hillary Clinton will be here on Friday. And John Kasich will appear in Rochester this weekend. A visit from Bernie Sanders isn't in the works right now, but his local supporters have aggressively canvassed neighborhoods this week.
Kevin Hardwick, a Republican Erie County Legislator and a political science professor at Canisius College, hasn't been this excited to see a primary in New York since before the 2000 election, when George W. Bush and John McCain dueled each other in a Republican race.
"I mean, it's been 16 years since I've seen Republican candidates come through here to do anything but take our money and spend it in Ohio or Florida," Hardwick said. "Right now, they want our votes. They need our votes on both sides, Democrat and Republican."
Hardwick himself has rejected Trump. Along with Republican Assemblyman Ray Walter and other local party leaders, Hardwick is helping organize an effort to nominate John Kasich for the Republican ticket. On Wednesday, a few dozen people met in Cheektowaga for an informal discussion about how to grow Kasich's base in Western New York.
The candidates will compete for 95 Republican delegates on April 19. Each of the 27 congressional districts in New York carry as many as three delegates, meaning Trump could theoretically claim six delegates in the two districts covering Erie County. But if Trump cannot win a majority in those districts, Kasich or Cruz could earn a delegate just by finishing second.
"We think, if we can't win, we can at least come in second place and get some delegates," Hardwick said. "And that's the name of the game, because you want to go into Cleveland with as many delegates as possible."
Hardwick admits Kasich mathematically cannot earn enough delegates to claim an outright Republican nomination.
But if Trump cannot win the majority of delegates before the convention, a brokered convention could help lead the way for either Kasich or Ted Cruz.
"And if it comes to that, I think a lot of people will turn to John Kasich," Hardwick said. "Because he's a guy with the requisite experience. He knows what he's talking about. I think he's gotten rave reviews by the experts, people who know about foreign policy, who know about the budget."
Langworthy, who accompanied Donald Trump at a rally in Long Island on Wednesday, predicts a strong showing for Trump in the 26th and 27th congressional districts in Western New York. He points to Carl Paladino's broad Republican support in Western New York during his race for Governor in 2010.
Perhaps that's why the Trump campaign scheduled a rally in Buffalo right before the primary.
"I think it shows how important we are to the overall scheme of the statewide Republican primary," Langworthy said. "We've demonstrated that, time and time again, in our performance in Republican primaries."
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton's delegate lead over Bernie Sanders is more pronounced. However, Sanders' victory in Wisconsin this week has earned the Vermont Senator some much-needed momentum heading into key primaries.
On Wednesday night, Clinton's local volunteers held an opening event at their office in downtown Buffalo, furiously making last-minue phone calls and designing campaign signs as they prepare for her visit on Friday to the Pierce Arrow Museum. One of those volunteers, Jake Wagner, said the Clinton team cannot afford to lose the state where she served as Senator.
"For the Clinton campaign, I think it's crucial that we solidify victory here," Wagner said, "which I'm confident we will do."
Bernie Sanders may not have scheduled a Western New York visit, but his office has been very active in Buffalo. 2 On Your Side has also learned that Sanders has spent $670,000 on an initial advertising purchase in New York state, including New York City. Clinton, meanwhile, has spent $130,000 on an advertising buy-- but only for upstate New York.
"It's great that New York finally matters in the primary calendar," Wagner said.
Wagner was speaking for the Democrats.
But the same sentiment holds true for Republicans, with 13 days now remaining until the New York primaries.