Corwin unseats Cole in Assembly
The Buffalo News
By Fred O. Williams
Jane L. Corwin Tuesday night declared victory in the hotly contested race for the Republican nomination for the 142nd District Assembly seat.
With 96 percent of the vote counted, challenger Corwin had a decisive edge, with 45 percent of votes, compared with 35 for incumbent Michael W. Cole.
With no Democratic challenger in the district, the primary win virtually ensures Corwin of the Assembly seat.
Corwin said she had talked to Cole and another challenger, Jeffrey A. Bono, who had both conceded.
“I believe Republicans in my district have spoken — they’re interested in a program of reform,” said Corwin, an ally of Erie County Executive Chris Collins.
The race was marked by bare-knuckle campaigning. Corwin, a former Talking Phone Book executive with a Wall Street business background, took aim at Cole’s indiscretion last year with a legislative intern.
Cole has admitted spending the night at the intern’s apartment, but
maintained that nothing inappropriate took place. Rather, he said he stayed at the apartment rather than risk driving while impaired. The Assembly censured him.
Cole counterpunched, accusing Corwin’s campaign of being “really nasty” and sprinkled with inaccuracies. He and other challengers also pointed a finger at Corwin’s wealth and connections. According to campaign reports filed in August, Corwin’s campaign war chest was triple the size of Cole’s, despite his incumbency.
Corwin downplayed the role of the scandal in the campaign, though it was a focal point, and emphasized the message of reform going forward. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s over,” she said, and the fellow Republicans have agreed to cooperate.
Corwin said Cole’s showing, with a significant vote total, shows that “he’s worked very hard for the community and people recognized that.”
Trailing in the results were former Democrat Leonard A. Roberto, with 17 percent, and Bono with 3 percent.
