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Tim Kennedy rolls to easy victory in state Senate

Jonny Moran
/
WBFO News

Sen. Tim Kennedy (D-Buffalo) rolled to an easy victory against challenger Shaqurah Zachery Thursday, locking up another seat in the Democratic push to take the State Senate. It also puts the senior South Buffalo Democrat in position for a major post in a Democratic Senate.

The South Buffalo Democrat pushed hard in his re-election campaign and spent a lot of money in the effort to hold on to his seat - part of the statewide Democratic push for Senate control that made Andrea Stewart-Cousins the majority leader.

Democrats have stumbled in the past in attempting to take total control, leaving Republicans potentially fading away in state politics. However, with a massive majority in the primary election, Kennedy staked a claim to a top leadership post in the Senate, if the Democrats take over.

Speaking at his victory party at Flying Bison Brewery, Kennedy said a Democratic majority would bring more cash to Western New York.
 

"While we've begun the work, there is a lot more work to do," he said, "and I'm confident that with a Democratic majority taking hold from November, we'd be able to deliver more resources for our community and get things done for Western New Yorkers and local families that have only been dreams in our community."

Kennedy said a Democratic majority means programs and policies, long stalled by Republican control of the Senate, would start going through with his party in control. He said that idea is nice, but right now the focus should be on victory in November before worrying about what a Democratic Senate might do next year.

"Using this as an opportunity to build off of this victory and ensure that all people across our state, no matter who they are, where they're from, what they look like, what their socio-economic status is, what their gender is, what their sexual orientation is, everybody deserves an equal chance," Kennedy said. "That's what New York is all about."

Mike Desmond is one of Western New York’s most experienced reporters, having spent nearly a half-century covering the region for newspapers, television stations and public radio. He has been with WBFO and its predecessor, WNED-AM, since 1988. As a reporter for WBFO, he has covered literally thousands of stories involving education, science, business, the environment and many other issues. Mike has been a long-time theater reviewer for a variety of publications and was formerly a part-time reporter for The New York Times.
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