BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The race for Mayor of Buffalo is heating up as the Erie County Democratic Committee (ECDC) prepares to endorse a candidate this week. On Tuesday night, ECDC will be hosting its third and final convention at the Buffalo Convention Center.
Out of the eight candidates vying for the endorsement, four have been invited to return: Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon, State Senator Sean Ryan, former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield and Common Council Member Rasheed Wyatt.
7 News Political Analyst Bob McCarthy and I had a conversation about what's to come in the next several weeks. Here's part of that conversation:
Mirand: I know we have that Erie County Democratic committee convention Tuesday night. They invited back four candidates who were interested in seeking this endorsement. What does that say about these four people that were invited back compared to the others?
McCarthy: Again, significant. These are the people who in the eyes of the party anyway, are those who bring the most to the table, those who can probably make the ballot and raise some kind of money to be able to be competitive against the big guys, Ryan and Scanlon. Now that doesn't mean that anybody who isn't invited or doesn't get the party endorsement will be automatically eliminated.
Mirand: Let's start with State Senator Sean Ryan.
McCarthy: He's going to be a force. Sean Ryan has gone to Albany and become his own man there, and he's been very active in a lot of causes that maybe don't come out to the forefront in the mind of the average voter, but some of the things that he's done to promote new housing programs and things like that, which which are very important in the grand scheme of things.
Mirand: Former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield was also invited back.
McCarthy: Hey, here's a man who was the commissioner of the Buffalo Fire Department. So, this is a guy who knows how to operate in a major post, and he has this very important public safety position, which I think is always a big, important factor. And he also has been a national figure in racial tension and in things like gun control.
Mirand: And inside City Hall, you have Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon, who's eyeing down this position to keep his administration there and keep going.
McCarthy: The mayor is in a very commanding position here. You can never underestimate the power of incumbency. So, he brings a lot to the table here. And if he doesn't get the endorsement, well, I don't see him stepping back because of all those strengths that I just mentioned that he brings to the table.
Mirand: Lastly, Council Member Rasheed Wyatt was also invited.
McCarthy: From the heart of the Black community. And let's not forget ever that I think the Black voters are the most loyal to the Democratic Party and are very likely to come out and vote. And so he's got a substantial base there. We talked about Chris Scanlon's base. This will be a challenge for the councilman now to see if he can mobilize that base, and we're talking about a very substantial part of the democratic electorate here. So, he brings all kinds of things, plus a knowledge of City Hall and the reputation and the relationships that he has.
Mirand: Let's say you have Whitfield, Scanlon and Rasheed that still want to run in the primary without that endorsement. What does that look like for them?
McCarthy: Especially Scanlon, I think, is ready to go. The big question will be those other two because they don't have the organization or the money, really the money at this point, Ryan and Scanlon are talking about half a million dollars each in their campaign accounts. These others aren't anywhere near there.
Mirand: In terms of the Republican side of things, what are we hearing?
McCarthy: Really interesting that we reported on Friday that the Republicans are in serious discussions with James Gardner. Now, if that name sounds familiar, it's because he was the Democrat or the Republican candidate for District Attorney against Michael Keane in the November election. James Gardner spent more than half a million dollars of his own money in that race. But James Gardner is a different kind of cat. He wants to be involved in this and believes he brings something to the table.
Mirand: This is huge for the City of Buffalo. We haven't seen a new mayor in more than 20 years. The only mayor that I remember growing up was Byron Brown.
McCarthy: It's just for all the reasons that you pointed out, but I think people are ready for it. My feeling is people are engaged in it, and they're looking at it, and everybody has a feeling about it, but they're looking for this first important step that takes place over the next few days with the Democratic Party interviews and endorsement. That's the first step in all of this.
You can watch our full conversation here: