Businessman Aaron Siegel had been seen as a potentially significant candidate for Buffalo comptroller this year.
But after Siegel did not file designating petitions last week for a race that would have pitted him against Assemblyman Mark J.F. Schroeder, it appears the Democratic end of the race is now settled. Indeed, Siegel on Monday issued a glowing endorsement for Schroeder.
"I have watched Mark Schroeder as he has stood up to the powerbrokers in Albany defending the needs of Western New York," Siegel said. "And I know that the character and independence he has shown in the past will be a valuable asset in what should always be an independent role for Buffalo's finances."
Schroeder, however, still must face Republican Joseph J. Surdyck Jr. in the November general election.
--Robert J. McCarthy
