With State Sen. Patrick Gallivan out of the GOP race to challenge Democratic Rep. Kathleen C. Hochul this fall, voters in the new 27th Congressional District are still waiting for the picture to clarify.
On Wednesday, it did -- if only just a little.
First, Amherst Supervisor Barry A. Weinstein officially said he would not join the contest. While he had been prominently mentioned under previous reapportionment plans, new lines eliminating his home turf from the new district had deemed him an unlikely candidate in the eyes of most political observers.
Meanwhile, County Legislature Minority Leader John J. Mills of Orchard Oark said he will reveal his intentions on Monday.
"With lines becoming final just two short days ago, he has accelerated his exploration, and will come to a final decision on Monday, March 26th, exactly one week after the formal district lines were released," said spokesman Brian Fiume. "Legislator Mills feels strongly that this size of this district and the various communities and interests it contains deserves a proper exploration period. Logistically, Legislator Mills knows he has the support structure and organization necessary to gather the appropriate amount of petition signatures in a suitable time frame if he decides to announce as a candidate."
Former County Executive Chris Collins is expected to announce his candidacy late this week or early next week, while Iraq War veteran David Bellavia has already joined the race.
--Robert J. McCarthy
