CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WKBW) — A new year marks a new era in Cheektowaga's political representation. The traditionally Democratic area is swearing two Republicans into office this week, starting with Assemblyman Patrick Chludzinski.
Chludzinski was sworn in Wednesday as the representative for New York’s 143rd district, which covers all of Cheektowaga, Depew and parts of Lancaster and Buffalo.
In November, Chludzinski, a Republican, unseated four-term Democratic assemblywoman Monica Wallace.
His victory marked the first time a Republican has won this seat since 2014.
“I’m different from the previous legislature because I have been embedded in this community since I was a young child. I know the community well,” Chludzinski said. “Affordability, public safety, these are some of the primary things that people in my district are concerned about.”
Chludzinski will not be the only Republican taking office in Cheektowaga this week.
On Friday, the new seventh member of the Cheektowaga town council, Republican Anthony Filipski, will be sworn in.
Cheektowaga has been short on a town board member since last January, leaving it with three Democrats and three Republicans.
I spoke with Town of Cheektowaga supervisor Brian Nowak, who is a Democrat, right after the election about why it was so important to fill that position, regardless of their party affiliation.
“It’s important to show the town we have a full board now and we have a coalition of folks up there that take their jobs seriously, want to serve the residents, we have differences of opinions sure but we can hash that stuff out,” Nowak said.
Assemblyman Chludzinski’s first term will run through the end of 2026. Filipski’s first term on the town board runs through 2028.
