Buffalo News - GOP backs Schratz, prosecutor
A popular Amherst Republican will try to unseat the longtime Democratic county clerk, and a county prosecutor will have the task of trying to take the congressional seat away from freshman Brian Higgins, the Erie County GOP leader said Saturday.

Republicans also are close to naming an opponent for Louise M. Slaughter, the Rochester-based congresswoman whose earmuff-shaped district extends 80 miles west into Erie County.

This is a lousy district and it’s mine. Slaughter represented Rochestor untill LaFalce was basically knocked out with the redistricting and the loss of a congressional seat due to the population loss. She has a strong voter base in her homebase area which makes it hard for an opponent.

Mike Laba ran against her last time, Mike is a good man I campaigned for him and he ran a hard race but lack of money made things even more difficult. Slaughter has a ton of campaign cash. Her views on abortion, partial birth abortion are disgusting. She was the firast one to the microphone when President Bush signed the ban on partial birth abortion screaming that he was taking away a womans right to choose. Just the name alone tells you how bad those abortions are and if she had it her way it would be legal up until the day the baby is due.

Amherst Council Member Shelly Schratz will declare her candidacy for county clerk on Tuesday, according to county Republican Chairman James P. Domagalski.

“I think she’s an A-List candidate, maybe a modern day Alfreda Slominiski,” he said, referring to the former GOP county comptroller. “She will root out patronage and those whom Dave Swarts has put there.”

And Michael J. McHale, an Erie County assistant district attorney, is expected to run against Higgins in the congressional district that includes much of Buffalo and the Southtowns.

One of two contenders - businessman Timothy Scanlon or Tonawanda Town Councilman John Donnelly - will emerge this week as Slaughter’s opponent, Domagalski said, for the odd-shaped district that extends from Buffalo to Rochester in a thin line along the Lake Ontario shoreline.

Domagalski said he is excited about the Schratz candidacy because she is well known in the county’s biggest town, especially for her work in protecting minors from sexual abuse. Swarts is serving his fifth four-year term as county clerk.

Schratz has been extremely vocal on the sexual abuse against minors, she has been a strong advocate and even traveled to Albany to get the Democrat controlled assembly to act faster on the issue. I don’t know if Sheldon Silver had allowed any type of Bill to be passed or not.

McHale, a 12-year veteran of the district attorney’s office, had been in contention for the Higgins seat along with James Liegl of Hamburg, who unsuccessfully ran for the Erie County Legislature last year.

McHale, like Higgins, is a South Buffalo resident.

I don’t know McHale but I do know Jim Liegl. Jim is a good man and would make a good congressman or better still Erie County Legislator. He was narrowly defeated because Janet Schumer refused to step down and away from the Reform line after she lost the primary. The votes she took from Jim kept him out of the Legislature. He will be elected next year and deserves it.