Three political newcomers swept to relatively easy victories Tuesday night in the Democratic primary to run for a trio of seats on the Niagara Falls City Council.
Former Falls Director of Public Works John Kinney, former City Council Secretary Bridgette Myles and local realtor Noah Munoz, all of whom were endorsed by the Niagara County and Niagara Falls City Democratic Committees, captured spots on the November ballot. They turned back incumbent Democratic Council Member Donta Myles, who was not endorsed by the party committees, and two other newcomers, Michia Lee and Sylvana Rahman.
The Democratic candidates will face off against incumbent Republican Council Member David Zajac, former Republican Council Member Vincent Cauley and realtor Tonya Barone. Former Republican Council Member John Accrado will challenge on the Conservative Party line.
“I don’t think this was unanticipated,” Niagara County Democratic Party Chair Chris Borgatti said. “When you have a primary election moved to June, and without a mayoral candidate (on the ballot) and your candidates are only raising about $5,000, it’s hard to get turnout.”
County elections officials said, early Tuesday evening, that voter turnout was “very low.” Democratic Elections Commissioner Lora Allen said only 506 ballots were cast during the nine days of early voting countywide.
“It was low all over the county,” Allen said. “And the same thing in the Falls.”
Borgatti said low turnouts in primary elections tend to favor party-endorsed candidates.
“These are people that vote every year, and we target them,” the party chair said. “Do we wish more people voted? Of course. But with everything going on these days, people are tired of politics. They want results and if they don’t see results, you see apathy.”
The Democratic party chair said he thinks his first-time candidates benefitted from voters’ desire to see results.
“I feel very confident. I think our slate is a nice cross-section,” Borgatti said. “Our community wants us to work together, to have a professional relationship with the administration (of Mayor Robert Restaino). To hold the administration accountable, but to also have conversations with them.”
Reacting to the election results, Myles, a frequent critic of Restaino, said he intends to keep holding the mayor “accountable.”
“All I can do is finish my job,” he said. “I’ll be here until the end of the year.”
Myles expressed disappointment with the voter turnout, describing it as “horrible.”
“I’ve tried to exhaust everything within me to make sure that I fought for fairness, fought for the people to have a voice,” Myles said. “I think it is unfortunate that those who are most affected didn’t think it was important enough to show up and fill out a circle on a ballot. I can’t get mad at those who chose to vote because they chose who they want to lead the city and make financial decisions for them.”
He also said he expects city council meetings, which have been criticized for most of this year as “chaotic” and “circuses” to become much “quieter.”
“It’s going to be quiet and no one’s going to really know what’s going on,” Myles said. “They called it chaos, but it was pretty much information that I was trying to make public due to the lack of transparency on the administration’s part. If the City of Niagara Falls is comfortable with resolutions being passed without their knowledge, then they’ve made their decision.”
Lilly defeats Broderick in Lewiston supervisor race
Ed Lilly has taken a major step in his bid to become the next supervisor in the Town of Lewiston.
Unofficial results from the Niagara County Board of Elections showed Lilly defeating incumbent Supervisor Steve Broderick in Tuesday’s Republican primary, 491 to 446.
Reached by telephone Tuesday night, Lilly said he’s appreciative of the support he received from Republican voters and is now focused on finishing the job by winning the general election in November.
Broderick, who has served as town supervisor since 2015, will appear on the general election ballot as the endorsed Conservative Party candidate in the race.
If successful in November, Lilly vowed to address town spending, which he said has been a major issue during Broderick’s tenure as supervisor. If he does secure the supervisor’s post, Lilly said he would make it a priority to make sure every town contract gets reviewed and sent out for bids.
I feel like I’m anxious to start defending the taxpayers,” Lilly said. “If the taxpayers vote for me in November, I would begin defending them Jan. 1.”