Some are saying that the real sleeper in the race for the Mark Grisanti NYS Senate seat could be Kenmore lawyer Kevin Stocker. Running in the GOP primary as a pro traditional values contender, some say Stocker is the guy many Dems fear most...Wednesday night's meeting of the Erie County Democratic Town Chairs and Zone Chairs was a well attended affair under Town Chairs Leader Gayle Syposs and Zone Chairs Leader Darien Pratchet. Those attending included state senate candidates and attorney Mike Amodeo and Marc Panepinto along with Erie County Family Court Judge Kevin Carter and his opponent, Judge Paul Crapsi.

In other news, we are still being assured that there will be a third candidate in the Kennedy/Thompson NYS Senate battle, though we still don't know who...Finally, this year's Sept. 13 South District Common Council Democratic primary will be a no holds barred contest between tavern executive and incumbent Councilman Chris Scanlon and the many connections the Scanlon family enjoys in South Buffalo, including support from Mayor Brown and the many community good works of former Mickey Kearns aide Matt Fisher who will be backed by Assemblyman Kearns and his legion of backers down South.

On June 4^th, the Erie County Democratic Committee is hosting a Spring Fling fundraiser honoring Congresswoman Kathy Hochul and Congressman Brian Higgins who are up for election in their new districts in Erie County. The event is from 5-7pm at WJ Morrissey's Irish Pub (30 Mississippi St, Buffalo, NY 14203.) The cost is $99 per person with sponsorships available at $250, $500, and $1000. Checks may be made payable to the Erie County Democratic Committee, 295 Main St, Suite 115, Buffalo, NY 14203. Please RSVP to Paige at 853-2511 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you would like to attend.

When Republican NYS Senate candidate Kevin Stocker talks about his current campaign, he doesn't bring up large TV ad buys or long out of town political consultant memos Instead, his thoughts turn to all those houses on whose doors he has been knocking in Hamburg and Orchard Park and Kenmore that have statues of Our Blessed Mother on their lawns.

“These people are the salt of the Earth,” he says. “They are deeply religious, hard working people who are devoted to their children and grand children. Yet, they are also very well informed. They know about the issues of this campaign and they are very concerned about what they feel are 'broken promises.”

Stocker, a successful Kenmore attorney, reports that the Marriage Equality issue is not necessarily the first subject these folks bring up.

In case anyone had any doubts, Niagara County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Schnurr will run for re-election next September in an attempt to unite the NC Dem Party.

“The themes of my re-election campaign will be healing and unity,” he points out. “I know that there are factions and groups within our Niagara County Democratic Party who don't feel like they are a part of our party. I want to bring them back. I want to make them feel that they definitely have a place within our party and that they will be listened to. I plan to listen to them and to work with them all.”

Still, Chairman Schnurr's main focus right now is on winning victories for Democrats in this year's contests for the NYS Assembly and Senate.

THE EARL KEY FOR BUFFALO CITY COURT CAMPAIGN WILL HOLD A FUNDRAISER ON THURS., MAY 24 FROM 6-8PM AT THE NEW GOLDEN NUGGET, 2046 FILLMORE AVE. THE CHARGE IS $25 AND INCLUDES FOOD, DANCING, AND A CASH BAR. THERE WILL BE A 50-50 SPLIT AND RAFFLE. THE EVENT IS HOSTED BY BETTY JEAN GRANT.

We are being told that this year's primary for state offices will be held on Thursday, Sept. 13, rather than the usual second Tuesday of the month in order to avoid holding the voting on the 11^th anniversary of the 9-11 attack on America. Gov. Cuomo will sign the bill this week....Attorney Mike Amodeo is emerging as a strong potential Democratic candidate for the NYS Senate in the Mark Grisanti district vs. Chuck Swanick. The big question seems to be: Does Amodeo want to run?

The latter query also seems to be the operative issue regarding the possible campaign of Kevin Gaughan for the Democratic nomination for the Sean Ryan Assembly seat. We are being told that the downsizing guru has simply not decided yet...Finally, there is a lot of talk that a third candidate will emerge in the NYS Senate Democratic primary contest in addition to incumbent NYS Senator Tim Kennedy and challenger Antoine Thompson. However, there is simply no solid evidence that anyone has emerged so far to definitely or even probably make the run.

Former Ch. 7 reporter and financial planner Steve Barber is often mentioned as a possible contender in the Kennedy/Thompson race. But, if Republican Barber ran it would be in the GOP primary, not the Democratic contest.

BELLAVIA CALLS FOR COLLINS' TAX RECORDS TO AVOID AN "OCTOBER SURPRISE"...CRAPSI FUNDRAISER A BIG SUCCESS

(BATAVIA, NY) - Conservative Republican Congressional candidate David Bellavia called again for Chris Collins to release his tax records immediately, this time warning Republicans of the danger of an "October Surprise" hidden in his opponent's finances.

"Sixteen days ago, I released my family's tax returns for the last six years. The media combed through our financial records and discovered what everyone already knows: our family is just like every other family in the 27th Congressional District," Bellavia said. "Since then, Chris Collins has been running away from releasing his own taxes and making excuses for not being transparent. What is Mr. Collins hiding?"

In other news, Monday night's fundraiser for the campaign of Judge Paul Crapsi for Erie County Family Court proved to be a Standing Room Only Success, with admiring attorneys and others filling a downtown venue.

Getting back to the Bellavia/Collins race:

Highly reliable sources are telling NewWNYPolitics that former NYS Senator Antoine Thompson will announce his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the state senate seat currently held by Senator Tim Kennedy on May 31. Thompson is expected to make a final decision to go later this week in plenty of time to put together the big show scheduled for the 31^st.

According to sources close to the Thompson campaign, his bid will be based on the expectation that the former Senator can win as much as 40% of the primary vote in Cheektowaga, comparable to the tally Judge James McCleod was able to register in a county court race a few years ago. The Thompson people also are confident they can easily garner at least the 45% of the vote in Lackawanna achieved by challenger Dion Watkins in his recent bid for the post of Steel City Mayor.

They feel that this, combined with big numbers in most of the Buffalo neighborhoods in the Senate district will be enough to bring victory to Thompson, especially in a multi candidate race.

President Obama currently leads Mitt Romney by 20 points, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand maintains better than two-to-one leads over all three potential Republican opponents. Although down a little, Governor Andrew Cuomo continues to be viewed favorably by more than two-thirds of voters and has a 56-43 positive job performance rating. Both the State Senate and State Assembly have the highest favorability ratings they’ve had in the three plus years Siena has been asking about the houses of the Legislature.

As time moves inexorably toward the first day of petitions in June, the chances that community activist and Buffalo Housing Authority Commissioner Joe Mascia will run for the 144^th District Assembly seat seem to grow.

Why?

“Because with every day that goes by I see more and more need for the citizens of the 144^th District to send a true independent voice to the Assembly,” Mascia replies. “We need someone who will listen to the people, someone who will do what' best for the average voter rather than just doing whatever the powerful people in Albany want. I feel that way and as I travel out to talk to voters in places such as Hamburg and Lackawanna and North Buffalo feel the same way. People aren't happy with what's going on now. They are looking for real change.”

An admirer and strong supporter of newly elected Assemblyman Mickey Kearns, Mascia believes he can win by following Mickey's model.

WHAT'S BEHIND THE DESTINO VS. MAZIARZ CHALLENGE

What's behind the Republican primary challenge launched by Niagara Falls attorney and School Board Member Johnny Destino vs. veteran NYS Senator George Maziarz?

Here's the scoop:

Destino was the GOP nominee challenging Democratic Niagara Falls Mayor Paul Dyster last year. Originally, he feels he was led to believe that Senator Maziarz would support his campaign financially, possibly to the tune of as much as $100,000. However, the Senator, like most observers with the exception of those close to the Destino campaign, eventually came to the conclusion that the race would not be close and declined to provide the expected financial backing.

Despite the fact that Destino repeatedly assured those close to Senator Maziarz that the contest would be close, the veteran Senator stuck to his guns. So then on election night, when it turned out that the contest was much closer than anyone predicted except Destino, the challenger came to believe, rightly or wrongly, that it was the Senator's refusal to provide financing that cost him the election, making Democrat Dyster the first two term Mayor of Niagara Falls in decades.

As for Destino's enthusiastic financial backers, highly successful Buffalo developer Carl Paladino and former Erie County Executive and current congressional candidate Chris Collins, they may have different reasons for backing the challenger.

In addition to the powerful pair's high personal regard for Destino, there are a number of factors involved: Paladino, a fervent opponent of gay marriage, is unhappy with Senator Maziarrz for his continuing support of NYS Senator Mark Grisanti after the latter provided the deciding vote in the state senate that legalized marriages between gay couples in the Empire State. The entire Albany Republican leadership is standing up for Grisanti because they feel his re-election could provide the decisive vote that could preserve the current GOP majority in our capital's upper house.

Most observers feel that it was reasons such as the above that led Maziarz to attend a recent Buffalo press conference, along with former Niagara County Republican Chairman Henry Wojtaszek, at which the Erie County Independence Party announced its support for Senator Grisanti. However, this doesn't make the decision any more palatable to Paladino.

As for the former county executive, he is likely primarily angry over Senator Maziarz decision to endorse Collins' current Republican congressional primary opponent, David Bellavia. Bellavia and his family are long time personal friends of the Senator.

Whatever the reasons, this extremely wealthy pair has reportedly pledged to put big money on the table in their effort to help Destino defeat Maziarz. Still, the incumbent, who has plenty of dough in the bank already with good potential to raise more, will certainly be no pushover. A tireless campaigner, the Senator is much better known in the district and can be depended upon to campaign day and night to keep his seat.