Published: July 23, 2008 01:27 am      

ELECTIONS 2008: Grear gets Dem backing in state Senate race

Brian Grear received authorization from the Democratic committees in three counties to run as their candidate for state Senate, 62nd district.

Grear, a registered Republican, said Tuesday he’ll be the Democratic candidate in Niagara, Orleans and Monroe counties and is thus guaranteed a ballot line past the Sept. 9 Republican primary election, in which he’s challenging incumbent state Sen. George D. Maziarz, R-Newfane, for the party line.

Grear takes over for Don Hobel, a Conservative party member who originally was authorized to run for the Democrats. Maziarz is the GREAR ...

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authorized candidate of the Independence, Conservative and Working Families parties; Hobel will challenge Maziarz for the Conservative line in the primary.

Grear said he appreciates the Democrats’ backing.

“This endorsement of my campaign by local Democrats — who have reached across the aisle and endorsed me — shows that upstate New York is ready for strong, independent leadership,” he said.

Grear, a Cambria resident, is an 18-year veteran of Niagara County Sheriff’s Department and a small business owner. He ran for sheriff in 2006.

In other state races, the various party committees authorized these non-member candidates’ runs:

• 138th state Assembly district: Paula M. Banks-Dahlke of Appleton, Independence and Conservative; and incumbent Francine DelMonte of Youngstown, Working Families. Banks-Dahlke, a Republican, and DelMonte, a Democrat, will square off in November. It’s their second contest since 2004. The 138th district covers the towns of Hartland, Newfane, Wilson, Cambria, Porter, Lewiston, Wheatfield, Niagara and the city of Niagara Falls.

• 139th state Assembly district: Harold Suhr of Lyndonville, Democratic and Working Families; and incumbent Stephen M. Hawley of Batavia, Independence and Conservative. Suhr, a Democrat, and Hawley, a Republican, will square off in November. The 139th district covers the Niagara County town of Somerset, all of Orleans County and portions of Genesee and Monroe counties.

• 142nd state Assembly district: Jane Corwin of Clarence, Independence and Conservative; Dennis Cehulik of Lockport, Democratic; and Jeffrey A. Bono III of Newstead, Working Families. Corwin, Bono, Leonard Roberto of Alden and incumbent Michael Cole of Alden all are Republicans vying for the party line in the primary. Cehulik, a registered Conservative, will face one or more of them in the November election. The 142nd district covers the City of Lockport, towns of Lockport and Royalton and seven Erie County towns.

In a local race, Mary A. Cedeno is authorized by the Republican, Independence and Conservative committees to run for a Royalton town board seat. Cedeno, a registered Democrat, has said she filed paperwork to change her party membership to GOP but it won’t take effect until after the November election. The Niagara County GOP committee’s authorization upends the town GOP committee’s pick, Dan Bragg. Cedeno and Bragg will square off in the GOP primary.