Published: February 07, 2008 02:57 am      

POLITICS: It's Bono vs. Cole in GOP race for Assembly 142nd District

Jeffrey A. Bono III is running for election to the 142nd Assembly District again.

This time, he’s a Republican — and he’s aiming to take down scandal-tinged incumbent Michael Cole, R-Alden.

Bono, a longtime Democrat who switched his party registration last year, announced his bid for the GOP nod Wednesday.

“In the last election, I erred by not running on my beliefs, and for that I am sorry,” Bono said. “But now, as a member of the GOP, I feel we can work together to fix another mistake ... my opponent’s election to the state Assembly.”

Cole beat Bono the Democrat badly in the May 2006 special election held to fill the seat of deceased Assembly member Sandra Lee Wirth. Cole went on to win a full, two-year term in November 2006 — and ran into reputational trouble the following spring, when he was forced to acknowledge publicly that he’d spent the night at a female intern’s apartment in Albany after drinking too much.

Cole, a married father of two young children, was censured by the Assembly, stripped of a committee leadership post and seniority and barred from participating in the intern program.

Since then, Cole’s relations with Niagara County Republicans have been occasionally awkward. This past fall, local GOP heavy hitters listed as sponsors of a Cole fund-raiser at a Town of Lockport winery mostly declined to attend the function. Some, like Mayor Michael Tucker, said they didn’t even know they were “sponsors” until they got their invitations in the mail.

The intern incident and aftermath spilled “blood in the water,” Bono said. “There’s gonna be a (GOP) primary. Mike Cole hasn’t delivered for this district. His hands are tied.”

In the 2006 special election campaign, Bono campaigned on the premise that Democratic Assembly members bring home more money than Republicans — and, when he lost, groused about the 142nd district being gerrymandered heavily in favor of Republicans.

He insisted Wednesday that he did not switch his party affiliation just to have a shot at the seat.

“If you go back and review my issues, cracking down on Medicaid fraud, reforming public authorities ... you’ll see I’ve been in line with Republican ideals for a long time,” Bono said. “I’m more in line with a hand up, not a hand out. ... I’ve had Democrats ask me, ‘why are you a Democrat?’”

Bono said leaving the Democratic party “was like getting a divorce for me. After 20-plus years of a relationship, I had to admit it didn’t work out.”

Bono, a Newstead resident, said he’s had some conversation with Erie County Republicans and his town GOP committee chairman about his candidacy.

Cole intends to pursue the nomination, too, and will formally announce his aim “in coming weeks,” he said Wednesday. Discussions with Erie and Niagara GOP leaders are ongoing, he added.

GOP sources have said the party is doing some polling to test Cole’s chances of public support and fund-raising before deciding whether to back him again.

Cole believes voters have forgiven him for the lurid headlines of last spring.

“Last summer I knocked on 4,000 doors, all around this district, in an off-year, to have the opportunity to talk face to face with people. I didn’t just knock on Republican doors, I knocked on the doors of voters from all parties — and I was overwhelmed by the support,” Cole said. “It was really reassuring.”

As for Bono’s party allegiance switch, Cole said, “He’s been a Democratic operative his whole life. I think he’s in for a rude awakening. The Democrats spent more than $500,000 on Laura Monte and I still won because I went out there and campaigned aggressively. ... I don’t see 2008 being any different.”

Niagara County GOP Committee Chairman Henry Wojtaszek said he’s never met, or spoken with, Bono and believes Cole deserves fair consideration from his party.

“I expect to meet with (Cole) within the next week to discuss how he can win the race. He has the right to defend himself. I’m really going to give him a fair shake,” Wojtaszek said.

Tucker, who in the wake of the Cole scandal has seen his name listed repeatedly as a viable Cole successor, said he’s staying out of the party fight — unless his party asks him to jump in.

“I like Mike Cole. I don’t have anything bad to say about him. I think it will come down to whether people think he’s done a good job for the district. I do wish he’d done more for us ... but I’ve had no conversation with anyone recently about (an Assembly run),” Tucker said. “Personally I’m 50/50 on it; I’m not dying to get there. If somebody wants me to run, they can come to me — because I’m not coming to them.”

The 142nd Assembly District is composed of the city and town of Lockport, the Town of Royalton and the Erie County towns of Clarence, Newstead, Alden, Elma, Marilla, Aurora and Wales.

Contact reporter Joyce Miles at 439-9222, ext. 6245.