Town of Grand Island Supervisor and occasional Niagara Falls Reporter contributor Nate McMurray has announced his candidacy for the 27th Congressional district of New York State, which spans a vast region of Western New York comprising most of Niagara County and points east all the way to Rochester, and wrapping around the metropolitan area to the south of Buffalo.
One of five Democrats currently declaring for the nomination, if the large and enthusiastic turn-out of over 200 attendees at his kick-off event at the Brickyard on Center Street in Lewiston last Sunday was any indication, he may have the inside track, especially considering that they were missing the opening drives of play-off football to be there.
If successful, Supervisor McMurray will have his work cut out for him. Incumbent Chris Collins (R-Clarence), after edging now-Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul for the seat by a mere two percentage points in 2012, went on to be re-elected twice, each time with over 2/3 of the vote.
“I think we need practical solutions,” Mr. McMurray told the Reporter. “People are sick of party politics and the divide. People want answers to questions that are facing them. If I’m a congressman I’ll be looking at things from a problem-solving perspective.”
Among his accomplishments for Grand Island, while still in his first term as supervisor, are a pledge from Gov. Cuomo to remove cash tolls on the Grand Island bridges, a new Visitors Center on the thruway for which ground was broken just last month, and the West River Parkway Connector Trail, a Niagara Greenway-sponsored project which entails removal of eight miles of redundant, underutilized parkway along the Niagara River waterfront, to be replaced by landscaping, overlooks, and bike and pedestrian trails.
Rep. Collins was the first member of Congress to openly endorse Donald J. Trump for president. Among the issues he champions are a repeal and replace of Obamacare, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, and working to bring broad band internet access to his mostly rural district. – jh
