TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner — and Democratic Commissioner for the Erie County Board of Elections — has announced his intention to run for Sean Ryan's Senate seat in Albany.
"I've been talking to hundreds of voters over the last couple of months," Zellner said. "Their concerns are that their costs are rising for health insurance, their costs are rising for car insurance, their costs are rising for utilities and sometimes they don't feel like they have a voice and I want to be that voice."
Zellner made the announcement hours after State Senator Sean Ryan won the election, becoming Mayor-Elect in the City of Buffalo. Zellner said he would resign from the Board of Elections in January. He will seek the Democratic and Working Families Party nomination for the 61st District.
WATCH: Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner announces run for Sean Ryan's Senate seat
This run for office has been widely speculated for months, as Ryan was running for Mayor. That's something I asked him about on Wednesday.
Drantch: Is this just a shuffling of the chairs? Was this the plan all along?
Zellner: No. I haven't talked to Sean Ryan about the Senate seat. We kind of siloed everything to this election and made sure we were focused on that.
Drantch: Can you understand why there might be some cynicism or skepticism knowing your role within the Erie County Democratic Party and then all of a sudden you're running for office?
Zellner: Well, I don't think being chair of a party should preclude someone from running for office. I've had a lot of encouragement from labor leaders, business leaders, community leaders. I've been knocking on doors, trying to get the vote out for the last month-and-a-half and I've had a very good response.
Drantch: Essentially, you're a party boss looking to give yourself a promotion.
Zellner: Well, that's what you're saying, Ed.
Drantch: That's what I'm saying is the skepticism here and I'm asking if you can understand that.
Zellner: What I would say is, Ed, we have elections and when this happens there's going to be three elections for this seat. There's going to be a special election, a primary and a general election in November. My plan is to take my message to the voters and my plan is to talk to them about why I'd be a strong senator for them and a strong voice in Albany. Those people are going to have a say in this.
Zellner says he intends to run for re-election as Chair of the Erie County Democratic Committee. He says that the election will happen in September next year. He says he is supporting Howard Johnson to become the Democratic Commissioner of the Erie County Board of Elections. Johnson, a former Erie County lawmaker, currently serves as Zellner's deputy in the downtown office.
"I'm very confident in his abilities," Zellner said.
Zellner said he will recuse himself from the process of running the party when the Senate nomination comes up for discussion.
