Reynolds backs Lee as successor
By Robert J. McCarthy NEWS POLITICAL REPORTER
Buffalo News
Updated: 05/06/08 6:36 AM

Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds passed the Republican torch to congressional hopeful Christopher J. Lee, endorsing
his candidacy Monday and weighing in on the Erie County executive's politics in the race.

During an appearance at Republican Headquarters in the Statler Towers. the Clarence Republican said that he would "emphatically and tirelessly" work to promote Lee as his successor in Washington.

"I firmly believe this will be a Republican-held congressional seat," Reynolds said, citing Lee's commitment to lowering taxes and acting as an advocate for business. ...

... He also noted that other elected officials are backing Lee, adding he believes the candidate brings the right resume, organization and financial backing to the race.

"He knows just exactly what Western New Yorkers are thinking," Reynolds said.
Lee appeared with the congressman and James P. Domagalski, chairman of the Erie County Republican Party, at the event and said he viewed the endorsement as "the beginning of new leadership for Western New York."

"I will be all about shrinking government in Washington while at the same time growing business right here in Western New York," Lee said. ...

Christopher J. Lee, an unknown on the political scene just a few weeks ago, officially announced his Republican candidacy to succeed Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds today on the steps of Amherst Town Hall.

After a rough and tumble period following Reynolds' retirement announcement almost five weeks ago, Lee survived. He was joined today in his effort by an enthusiastic Erie County Republican Chairman James P. Domagalski … who previously had supported another businessman, Rick Lewis.

Lee appears to be well on his way toward an effort he said will revolve around "creating jobs, lowering taxes and eliminating needless regulation."

And in the mode of County Executive Chris Collins, who ran as a Republican from the private sector last year, Lee claimed he is not a "career politician" and will extend his business background to Washington.

"I am a local businessman with over 20 years of experience who has seen first-hand what is required to create jobs and provide real solutions to the issues Western New Yorkers face on a daily basis," he told about 50 supporters.

Lewis, president of the Talking Phone Book, has not yet indicated if he will challenge Lee in a primary. Three other candidates … Christopher L. Jacobs, David Bellavia and David J. Pigott … have also yet to officially discuss their futures in the race.

A full account of the congressional contest will appear in Thursday's editions of The Buffalo News.

Even after Republican leaders anointed Christopher J. Lee as their chosen candidate to succeed Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds, no clear picture of the 26th Congressional District race emerged Tuesday as the possibility of a divided party remains.

On the Democratic side, however, one fact stands out: a three-way primary scramble is already under way even as Erie County Democrats on Tuesday made it a clean sweep of seven county endorsements for Iraq War veteran and former substitute teacher Jonathan P. Powers.

But most attention remains focused on the GOP, as Lee — an Amherst resident whose family formerly ran International Motion Control Corp. — was scheduled to announce his candidacy today in Williamsville, Greece, Batavia and Lockport. That followed a Monday session in Geneseo that bypassed Talking Phone Book President Rick Lewis and author and Iraq War veteran David Bellavia in favor of Lee.

Erie County Republican Chairman James P. Domagalski said Tuesday he and Niagara County Chairman Henry F. Wojtaszek stuck with Lewis throughout the vote and did not back Lee on the second ballot as was originally planned. That was a way of showing support for Erie County Executive Chris Collins, he said, who has been a strong Lewis supporter.

“We let the vote stand there,” Domagalski said of the change in plans. “We think a lot of Rick, but we think a lot of Chris Lee, too.”

Lee still emerged with enough votes to win the nomination, however, and it will all become moot today when Domagalski and Wojtaszek attend the Lee announcements to show their support.

Still, Lewis is now pondering his next move, with Erie County Conservative Chairman Ralph C. Lorigo— who is supporting him — urging a primary.

“I think there’s a good likelihood he will make the decision to do it,” Lorigo said. “A primary against two people with little name recognition or background is not necessarily a bad thing. I’m not moving until he decides, and I’m encouraging him to go.”

Lewis was out of town and unavailable to comment. Those close to him indicated he will take the next few days to assess the situation.

Bellavia, meanwhile, said he received support from his home turf of Genesee County during the Monday meeting of the district’s seven GOP chairmen. He said he does not accept the decision of the seven county leaders, and will urge rank-and-file members of the county committees to support him.

“I beg to differ about this,” he said. “It is far from over. In fact, it is just getting started.”

Bellavia, said he counts strong support in Genesee and Orleans counties that could result in his qualifying for the ballot. He said he will attempt to make his case before rank-and-file members of the county committees.

“If I have two counties to carry my petitions, it opens up a lot of doors,” he said. “If not, it closes a lot of doors.”

But Nicholas A. Langworthy, executive director of the Erie County Republican Committee, said the seven chairmen agreed that the Geneseo meeting would constitute the endorsement process.

“The binding vote was last night,” Langworthy said Tuesday. “Lee is the endorsed candidate, and that can’t be changed at this point.”

Democratic candidate Jack Davis, meanwhile, began his campaign against Powers and Amherst lawyer Alice J. Kryzan on Tuesday by challenging all his opponents to refuse money from political action committees, Washington lobbyists and “special interests.”

“I implore the other candidates of both parties to join me in this pledge,” he said. “We must avoid the conflict created between big donations and good public policy and reject any gifts or campaign contributions from the very people who have wrecked our economy.”

Davis also reiterated his pledge to forgo the annual congressional salary of $169,000, and work for $1. The wealthy businessman has pledged to spend $3 million of his own money on the campaign.

Kryzan spokesman Michael Alfoni said his candidate also remains committed to the race despite Tuesday’s Democratic endorsement of Powers. He pointed to the approximately $200,000 Kryzan has raised as well as several new campaign workers who have joined the effort in recent weeks as signs of the candidate’s strength.

“It will be up to the voters to decide this thing,” Alfoni said.

Christopher J. Lee emerged Monday as the choice of Republican leaders to succeed Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds in Washington, but not without significant opposition.

And Jonathan P. Powers made it a clean sweep of endorsements on the Democratic side when Erie County Chairman Leonard R. Lenihan officially backed him, setting up what is expected to be a three-way primary.
But the night’s main story revolved around the GOP. Talking Phone Book President Rick Lewis scored support from the Republican chairmen of Erie and Niagara counties during their meeting in Geneseo, but even they sided with Lee in a second ballot to make it a unanimous decision.

“This ends the process,” Wyoming County Republican Chairman Gordon Brown said Monday night after the meeting. “Christopher J. Lee has the full support of all the chairmen. We found him just to be an outstanding candidate among a field of outstanding candidates. I think his business experience will translate well into serving in Congress.”

Now, the main question is whether Lewis will mount a rare Republican primary challenge to Lee. Lewis, 48 is expected to decide that question in the next few days, which could open the field to other GOP challengers, including author and Iraq War veteran David Bellavia.

Several sources say the Lewis forces have worked hard over the past few days to try to persuade at least one of the Leealigned chairmen to change his mind. Lewis has said he does not relish running in a primary, but adds he is “not afraid” of one, either.

He scored a major coup in his efforts last week when Erie County Conservative Chairman Ralph C. Lorigo added his backing, and is expected to be joined by other Conservative leaders on the district and state levels.
Conservative backing is considered crucial in the Republican- dominated district, but the party’s support for Lewis also introduces the possibilities of either a split ticket against a Democrat or a GOP primary.
Lee, who lives in Amherst and is 44 years old, all along has been the favorite of the sprawling district’s eastern leaders. But Lewis also has been a strong candidate, with backing from Erie County Executive Chris Collins. That, in turn, prompted support for Lewis from Erie County Republican Chairman James P. Domagalski and his Niagara County counterpart, Henry F. Wojtaszek.

Powers’ backing by all seven Democratic organizations of the 26th Congressional District, meanwhile, marks a departure for Lenihan. He had backed Akron businessman Jack Davis in both 2004 and 2006, and now passes on a third run with Davis in a year when the candidate has promised to spend $3 million of his own money to capture the seat.

But Lenihan said Monday he likes what he sees in Powers, 29, another Iraq War veteran and former substitute teacher.

“His campaign on the grass roots level has been effective for a year and a half now, and he represents a new generation of leadership that people are hoping for in this country,” Lenihan said. “We think Jon deserves the opportunity.”

Powers is now gearing up for a primary that is expected to include Davis and Amherst environmental attorney Alice J. Kryzan.

Businessman Christopher J. Lee is on track for the GOP endorsement to succeed incumbent Republican Thomas M. Reynolds in the House of Representatives, but other candidates are keeping their efforts very much alive as they lobby party leaders for their support.

Talking Phone Book President Rick Lewis offers the main opposition to Lee in an effort strongly backed by County Executive Chris Collins. Lewis said Tuesday he has the support of Erie County Republican Chairman James P. Domagalski and his Niagara County counterpart, Henry F. Wojtaszek.

And in what could loom as a major development, Erie County Conservative Party Chairman Ralph C. Lorigo said late Tuesday he is “moving toward” supporting Lewis.

“Nothing is final, because I need to talk to some more people,” Lorigo said. “But I am moving in that direction.”
If Lorigo stays on that course, observers say that could dramatically strengthen the Lewis case as Republicans strive to avoid dividing their vote among three candidates in the November general election, with Lee potentially on the GOP line, Lewis on the Conservative line and a Democrat.

“The Conservative Party, to me, could possibly have an influence in that situation,” Lorigo said.
Lewis acknowledged that as it stands now, however, Lee has enough of the district’s weighted vote to gain the Republican nod when the chairmen of the 26th Congressional District’s seven counties meet Monday in Livingston County. But he continues to try to persuade any of the other five chairmen to go his way.

“The last two times Jim Domagalski and Henry Wojtaszek have voted for me,” Lewis said of previous meetings of the chairmen. “Now I’m in the process of reaching out to the other chairmen.”

A defection from any one of them, he said, would put him over the top.

“I’m certainly optimistic,” Lewis said. “This is a very fast moving process, and Monday is an eternity away. We’ll have a lot of conversations in the next few days, and we’ll see where they lead.”

Wojtaszek said Tuesday he will support Lewis. Domagalski did not return several calls seeking his comment.
A source familiar with the situation said Domagalski finds himself in a tough spot. “Old guard” Republicans are lining up behind Lee, who will officially announce his candidacy Saturday. Lee’s family has always been close to Reynolds when he was one of New York’s leading GOP figures — sources say Domagalski is also the leader who championed Collins’ successful campaign for county executive in 2007.

“It’s a very tough spot for Jim, and I think everybody realizes it,” the source said.

Lewis, meanwhile, said he will not even think about challenging Lee in a rare GOP primary election contest until after the district chairmen meet Monday. But he said while he will “not threaten a primary, I’m not afraid of a primary either.”

Nevertheless, Lee appears in line to be endorsed, according to Wyoming County Republican Chairman Gordon M. Brown. He said barring any unexpected opposition from rank-and- file Republicans, the leaders will ratify the Lee “consensus” they developed over the weekend.

Monroe County Chairman Stephen J. Minarik added that the weighted vote of at least five county chairmen gives Lee the official party nod.

“Shortly, you will see a vote of the county chairs, and Chris Lee will be the candidate,” he said. “There is no doubt about it.”

While Minarik cautioned he does not necessarily believe that Domagalski and Wojtaszek will stick with Lewis, other sources say they expect the two western chairmen to support Lewis on the first ballot. They also acknowledge the possibility that Lee will emerge from the Monday meeting with unanimous party backing.

“The best way to win a seat is to get behind a candidate,” said one chairman who asked not to be identified. “I’d like to see us on Monday get in a room and get a candidate.”

One potential development, however, revolves around David Bellavia, an author and Iraq War veteran who enjoys support of some committee members in his home turf of Genesee and Orleans counties. Brown acknowledged that any of the chairmen who encounter serious opposition to the Lee endorsement could change their vote Monday.
As a result, support for Bellavia also could alter the outcome.

Bellavia, meanwhile, expressed disappointment in the process so far.

“There have been chairmen in this process who have not acted in good faith,” Bellavia said Tuesday. “I have jumped through every hoop, and the bar has been moved multiple times.”

Another candidate, businessman and Buffalo Board of Education member Christopher
L. Jacobs, said he also remains in the race. But he said he has heard nothing from either Domagalski or Wojtaszek, and he criticized Minarik for “eroding the credibility of the process” by publicly backing Lee.

“I have tried to respect the process, but I’m not getting much respect from the process,” Jacobs said. “I frankly think I deserved better.”

Still one more candidate, Army Capt. David J. Pigott, another Iraq War veteran who is slated to be discharged from the Army in June, said he remains in the race.

“I respect all seven county chairmen and the process they’ve devised,” he said. “Whatever they decide will be ultimately correct.”