BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — With just a few months until the June primary, Erie County Democrats have officially endorsed State Senator Sean Ryan as their preferred candidate for Buffalo mayor.
Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner said the party "overwhelmingly" backed Ryan, citing a need for fresh leadership in Buffalo’s city government.
“The overwhelming thought that I heard from people was we need some serious change of culture in City Hall," Zellner said. "The way we do business is not good.”
Zellner added that party leadership was looking for a candidate with a “new set of eyes” to address issues in the city.
Of the eight candidates seeking the Democratic endorsement, only four were invited to a final party meeting last week: Ryan, Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon, former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield and Buffalo Common Council Member Rasheed Wyatt.
But not everyone was satisfied with the selection process.
"I think things got a little, quite a little bit questionable," Scanlon said. "Throughout the process, I think the goalpost was moved a little bit."
Wyatt also expressed concerns.
"When you look back, it almost seemed like it was just a farce, and that's unfortunate because it wasted people's time and energy," he said. "I could have been doing other things, but I knew that this was the process. I thought it was going to be a fair process, that's what I was told."
Some have speculated that the endorsement was influenced by Zellner’s own political ambitions, with rumors circulating that he may be interested in running for Ryan’s state Senate seat.
"I've heard those same rumors about whether, you know, deals are cut and if the chairman's interested in one of the state offices," Scanlon said. "I've heard those same rumors, but we look at it this way, that we're going to work so hard in this campaign and be successful that there's not going to be an opening at the state level."
Zellner denied any political motivations behind the endorsement process.
"I don't know if anybody has a crystal ball, but it's a great rumor for someone to throw in to muddy up the process," he said. "You know, we're in a time and age where if someone doesn't get what they want, they beat up the system and they say it was rigged."
Despite the party’s endorsement, Scanlon and Wyatt said they are moving forward with their campaigns. The petitioning process begins Tuesday until April, with candidates needing to collect 2,000 signatures to secure a place on the June primary ballot.
"So at the end of the day, you know, I can't cry over spilled milk," Wyatt said. "I'm going to get in this race, and I'm going to go to the people and I'm going to ask them to endorse me because, at the end of the day, that's the most important endorsement."
Scanlon echoed that sentiment, emphasizing his vision for the city’s future.
"We're optimistic about the future of the city of Buffalo, and we're interested in working collaboratively with everyone to make sure that we bring up, move Buffalo forward and make sure that it's the best version of itself," he said.
7 News did reach out to Ryan for comment but was unable to find time for an interview.
Whitfield was unavailable for an interview but said his campaign is full steam ahead after he opened his campaign headquarters on Sunday.
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