Kennedy Sails Past Betty Jean Grant In Rematch

It was just before 11 p.m. when Tim Kennedy decided to declare victory. All throughout the day, the incumbent state Senator had made the rounds of Buffalo’s 63rd district, rallying his volunteers and getting out the vote. And after the polls closed, he and his closest advisors huddled in a back room at the Buffalo Irish Center, a pub, ballroom and community center just south of downtown, waiting for the election results. But everyone knew what was coming.

Two years ago, Erie County legislator and East Buffalo politician Betty Jean Grant launched a challenge against Kennedy in the Democratic primary and just about fought him to a standstill, losing by a hair’s breadth. Sensing that she might actually win this time, Grant tried to unseat Kennedy again this year, campaigning on the complaint that the hundreds of millions of dollars in the “Buffalo Billion” state subsidy has been too focused on downtown and waterfront development, with next to no money focused on Buffalo’s poor and black neighborhoods on the east side of town. But by 9 p.m. last night, it was clear that Grant had no chance of winning Kennedy’s seat. Kennedy’s supporters were breezy and carefree as they wandered around the Irish Center’s ballroom, scooping up slices of pizza and waiting to order drinks at the bar.

By 10:58, with 84 percent of precincts reporting, the grim truth was clear for Grant. Kennedy had beaten her back by a margin of about 60 percent to 40 percent. Emerging from the back room, Kennedy made his way through a crowd of more than two hundred cheering supporters, shaking hands and climbing onto the stage. Some twenty people—Kennedy’s family, union volunteers, fellow politicos—crowded behind him as he began to speak.

“How’s everyone doing today?” Kennedy boomed through his barrel chest, feeling his oats. “It’s good to get out of that hot room in the back!”

As bored children scampered around the stage, Kennedy ran through the litany of people he had to thank for helping him survive Grant’s challenge. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown. Congressman Brian Higgins. And the unions—lots and lots of unions. Earlier that day, Grant had acknowledged that Buffalo’s labor unions would most likely overwhelm her campaign, and she was right. “How about organized labor?” Kennedy shouted as the crowd cheered.

But as Kennedy wound down his list of thank-yous, he returned to a theme that has weighed upon Buffalo’s politics for decades: a constant sense that Buffalo is New York State’s neglected stepchild. Even as he took his victory lap and basked in the sun of his reelection, Kennedy reminded his supporters that unless Erie County voters keep watch, New York State politicians will always ignore them. “We sent a message to Albany today,” Kennedy growled. “Western New York will not be bullied. We will not be pushed around.” It seemed an odd non sequitur to what was, after all, an exclusively local election—and a victory speech at that.

But the crowd ate it up anyway. They cheered as Kennedy promised to push legislation to raise the minimum wage, make Western New York’s schools “world-class,” and raise a loud, noisy voice in Albany on their behalf.

“We in Western New York talk about the glory days,” Kennedy wound up, invoking the decline of Buffalo’s manufacturing sector. “We’ve talked about our history, our incredible history. … Well, we’re finally getting our identity back! … We are living in Buffalo and Western New York’s glory days!”