A little known quirk in the election laws could play a major role in the battle for Democratic chair in both Erie and Niagara Counties. The law says that in cases where an election district's composition has been changed due to population fluctuations, that district's weighted vote in the subsequent chairmanship contest is determined by the total number of registered Democrats living in that district, NOT the total Dem vote for governor in the last election.

This will mean that some district's weighted votes would increase in value which could in turn mean that areas and towns where there has been a lot of redistricting could see their power in this fall's re-org meeting grow. Reportedly there are an especially large number of redistricted election districts in Dennis Ward's Town of Amherst.

After all three candidates for the Erie County Dem chairmanship gave their presentation's at Monday night's forum, we understand that the room was cleared of everyone except for candidates and Town and Zone Chairs. Even County Executive Poloncarz had to leave. Still, neither Mark nor anyone else missed anything, we hear. It was all friendly palaver.

Finally, the last Republican to win state wide office in New York, former Governor George Pataki, has endorsed Manhattan attorney Wendy Long for the US Senate. Long will face popular incumbent US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on Nov. 6. A number of former Pataki aides are working for Long.