2015 Erie County, New York Executive election
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The 2015 Erie County, New York Executive election took place on November 3, 2015, to select the County Executive of Erie County, New York. Incumbent Democratic County Executive Mark Poloncarz, who remained popular following his response to the November winter storm,[1] ran for re-election to a second term.[2]
Poloncarz was challenged by State Assemblyman Raymond Walter, the Republican nominee, who argued that Poloncarz focused too much on economic development in Buffalo while "too many areas of the city and the county have been forgotten."[3] Poloncarz declined to seek the nomination of the Conservative Party, saying, "It's not a party or a statewide platform that matches up with my beliefs," enabling Raymond to win the nomination unopposed.[4]
Poloncarz entered the campaign as the frontrunner, significantly outraising Walter's campaign,[5] and was seen as likely to win re-election.[6] He ultimately won re-election in a landslide, receiving 66 percent of the vote to Walter's 33 percent, while Green Party candidate Eric Jones received 1 percent.[7]
Republican nomination
County Clerk Chris Jacobs emerged as the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, with State Senator Patrick Gallivan and County Controller Stefan Mychajliw both declining to run,[8] with Mychajliw encouraging Jacobs to run. However, Jacobs ultimately decided not to run,[9] and attention shifted to State Assemblyman Raymond Walter.[10]
Walter announced that he would run,[11] and won the Republican nomination unopposed.
General election
Candidates
- Mark Poloncarz, incumbent County Executive (Democratic, Working Families, Women's Equality)[7]
- Raymond Walter, State Assemblyman (Republican, Conservative, Independence, Reform)[7]
- Eric Jones, party activist (Green)[12]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mark Poloncarz | 88,157 | 59.87% | |
| Working Families | Mark Poloncarz | 6,488 | 4.41% | |
| Women's Equality | Mark Poloncarz | 1,984 | 1.35% | |
| Total | Mark Poloncarz (inc.) | 96,629 | 65.63% | |
| Republican | Raymond Walter | 33,393 | 22.68% | |
| Conservative | Raymond Walter | 12,968 | 8.81% | |
| Independence | Raymond Walter | 2,337 | 1.59% | |
| Reform | Raymond Walter | 443 | 0.30% | |
| Total | Raymond Walter | 49,141 | 33.38% | |
| Green | Eric Jones | 1,489 | 1.01% | |
| Total votes | 147,259 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
- ^ Thompson, Chris (April 19, 2025). "Behind The Snow". City & State. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ McCarthy, Robert J. (April 22, 2015). "Poloncarz cites record in re-election bid". The Buffalo News. Buffalo, New York. p. B1. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ Sondel, Justin (October 6, 2015). "Walter rolls out plan for Erie County's poorest neighborhood". City & State. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ McCarthy, Robert J. (May 4, 2015). "Poloncarz is content to stay solidly Democratic". The Buffalo News. Buffalo, New York. p. A1. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ Schulman, Susan (August 10, 2015). "Poloncarz is far ahead in campaign money race". The Buffalo News. Buffalo, New York. p. A1. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ McCarthy, Robert J. (November 3, 2015). "County executive race is Election Day focus". The Buffalo News. Buffalo, New York. p. A2. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ a b c McCarthy, Robert J. (November 4, 2015). "Poloncarz wins second term with 2-1 victory over Walter". The Buffalo News. Buffalo, New York. p. A1, A2. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ Whalen, Ryan (March 25, 2015). "Potential Candidates For Erie County Executive Make Way For Jacobs". Spectrum News. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ Desmond, Mike (April 6, 2015). "Jacobs decides not to run for county executive". Buffalo Toronto Public Media. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ McCarthy, Robert J. (April 7, 2015). "With Jacobs out of running for executive, GOP shifts gears". The Buffalo News. Buffalo, New York. p. A1. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ Mahoney, Bill (April 19, 2025). "Assemblyman to run for Erie County executive". Politico. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ McCarthy, Bob (August 30, 2015). "Cooler days bring warmer politics". The Buffalo News. Buffalo, New York. p. H3. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
- ^ "2015 General Canvass Book" (PDF). Erie County Board of Elections. 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.