Politics in Amherst, New York: Are the Republicans Stronger Than Ever?

In recent years, the Town of Amherst, a suburb of Buffalo, New York, has gone through some significant changes in its power structure. Specifically, the Town Supervisor was ousted from office in a surprise upset by a self-proclaimed, non-politician named Satish Mohan (R) in November of 2005 (a democrat held the position for 9 years). Mohan even upset the endorsed Republican candidate by winning a primary election against him in September of 2005. With this shift in power, in addition to changing town board seats, the Town of Amherst is changing its services and policies more quickly than ever before.

E. Marshall Wood, Jr, is the Amherst Republican Committee Chairman. In 2004, Wood upset the sitting chairman in a surprise "take-over" of the committee. I sat down with him to discuss the current political situation in Amherst as well as get his take on how state and federal issues will affect the town in 2007.

Q: The town has some big elections this year, including 3 town board seats and the highway superintendent. How do the republicans plan on keeping these seats? [The available seats are currently held by 3 republicans.]

A: We will keep the seats by finding the best possible candidates. We'll be looking for candidates who believe in and emulate traditional republican values, such as smaller and more efficient government and lower taxation. These values are the hallmark of the Republican Party and are what have enabled us to elect republicans in the past and are what will enable us to elect them in the future. It's important to note, too, that these republican values often cut across party lines in local elections.

Q: After recent splits in the committee, specifically the change in power from the last chairman and the rift it caused with committee members, do you feel that your committee accurately represents the wants and needs of the republican residents in Amherst?

A: The committee probably reflects the needs of the republican community more today than they did even two years ago. We asked for resignations from people who did not participate or believe in the core republican values. We also looked to fill vacancies and officer positions with younger and more aggressive members. We looked to fill all positions with people who wanted to work hard to get republican candidates elected. By doing this, we have given the power of the committee back to the committee itself rather than to just a handful of people.

Q: There are rumors that Supervisor Mohan is thinking of running his own slate of candidates regardless of who your committee chooses. Since Mohan was very successful in running his race from a grassroots level and managed an upset of the incumbent, do you have a feeling on how his slate could ruin chances of the endorsed republican candidates this year?

A: When Supervisor Mohan ran, there was a county-wide debate about incumbency; one could argue that his victory was due to the voters making a change based on that issue. This is a different year. Voters will be looking to see if the newly elected political leaders such as the Supervisor have kept their promises after beating out incumbent officers. And, the most important thing to remember is that the voters are looking for strong candidates, period.

Q: Is there a chance that the in-fighting within the Republican Party could allow the democrats to seize the opportunity and win some or all of the seats this November?

A: Realistically, that is always a possibility. However, the committee is more united today than it has been in many years. With the past issues and the firsthand look at how infighting can affect a candidate, I do not think that this is going to be a problem at all.

Q: There was a change in power this past November in our state and federal governments; how do you see that affecting the town races this year?

A: When talking about local government, federal impact is minimal. Presidential years bring a larger voter turnout but typically do not affect issues. Local elections are not often dictated by larger republican and democrat issues. In a re-election, local voters are often more concerned about what a Town Board member has done rather than his or her opinion on federal matters.

Q: What do you see as issues in 2007 for the Town of Amherst?

A: The focus will be on lack of achievement by the current Town Board and the services provided by the town along with economical costs of those services. Also, taxes and development as they are always issues on a local level.