16 days ago
Although County Executive Chris Collins was not up for re-election, he won some decisive victories on Election night.
He helped the GOP pick up at least three seats in the Erie County Legislature, possibly more.
This will not only double the number of GOP seats in the legislature but more importantly, for Collins, it will eliminate the super majority held by Democrats, which allowed them to override Collin's vetoes by merely voting along party lines.
Collins raised money to pay for the mailings of select Republican candidates, and held fundraisers and made phone calls on their behalf.
Two of the victorious Republican Legislators-Elect told 2 On Your Side that just because Collins recruited them to run and assisted in their campaigns, it doesn't mean they're beholden to him.
"I think at the end of the day I don't owe him anything. I owe the people that put me in office, ...that's who I owe," said Legislator-Elect Lynne Dixon, who defeated Democrat incumbent Bob Reynolds 60% to 40%.
Republican Legislator-Elect Kevin Hardwick, who defeated Democrat Michelle Iannello by a nearly identical margin (61% to 39%), was even more adamant telling WGRZ-TV, "
"I don't think the fact that he backed me hurt me one bit, but I think if people think I'm going to be Chris Collins' sock puppet then they don't know Kevin Hardwick!"
Republican Dino Fudoli took the fifth district seat that used to belong to Democrat Kathy Konst. Konst left the Legislature to serve in the Collins administration and left too late to get her name off the ballot. She drew 20% of the vote, enough to open the door for Republican Dino Fudoli, to defeat Democrat Diane Terranova.
Shelly Schratz's race against Incumbent Tom Loughran is too close to call.
Collins made it no secret that he backed several candidates for Erie County Legislature.
He believes the acrimony and bickering that were characteristic of the legislature last year, will be gone and the entire tone will be different.
WGRZ
