Former Niagara County Legislature chairwoman Rebecca Wydysh formally announced her intentions on Thursday to succeed retired judge Angelo Morinello as the representative in the New York State Assembly’s 145th District in Niagara County.
In a video posted to her assembly campaign’s Facebook page, Wydysh, a Republican, said she wants to build a “stronger, fairer future” for the district by ensuring “Albany works for all of us.”
“As chairman of the Niagara County Legislature, I’ve proven that I’m ready to lead and I’m ready to stand up for the people I serve,” said Wydysh. “When Albany makes decisions that threaten our community, I don’t stay silent.”
Wydysh, the first female to serve as chair of the legislature, announced in April that she would not be able to seek reelection as a county lawmaker because her bosses with the New York State Unified Court System would not allow her to do so.
While the court system previously allowed Wydysh, who works as the county’s deputy commissioner to jurors, to seek and hold public office as a legislator on five previous occasions, the office denied her request to do so again in 2024.
Wydysh said she received formal notice from the court system about the denial to seek reelection while in the process of securing signatures from registered voters on petitions needed to secure a position on the election ballot. She later declined to designate petitions as the Republican and Conservative candidate in the Second District, a move that allowed former Niagara County Economic Development Commissioner Mike Casale to take her place on the ballot in the race, which he won unopposed.
Wydysh’s formal assembly announcement followed Morinello’s decision earlier this week not to seek reelection to the post, which he has held since 2017. In his own video posted to Facebook on Thursday, Morinello discussed his decision to retire from public office when his term in the assembly closes at the end of this year. Morinello, who is also a Republican, endorsed Wydysh as his preferred replacement in the 145th District.
“After five terms as your assemblyman, I have decided not to run for reelection,” Morinello said in the video where he discussed his retirement. “Serving you, the constituents of the 145th Assembly district, has been one of the greatest honors of my life.”
The 145th Assembly District encompasses Niagara Falls, parts of Grand Island and the towns of Lewiston, Porter, Cambria and Wheatfield. Morinello, who served as a Niagara Falls City Court judge for 15 years prior to becoming the district’s representative, said he prided himself on working on issues that mattered to residents and working with Albany lawmakers in what he described as a bipartisan fashion to move legislation that he believed made a difference.
“You are the people are what drove me to be able to continue serving all of the constituents,” Morinello said. “It has really and truly been an honor. It is something that I cherish.”
Morinello closed his video message by asking those who supported him to support Wydysh in the upcoming race for the assembly seat.
“She knows the issues, but more importantly, she believes in the people,” he said.
This year’s general election is slated for Nov. 5.
Niagara County Democrats have not yet announced any potential candidates that might challenge Wydysh in the assembly race.