BRONSON WINS THREE-WAY PRIMARY; SETS SIGHTS ON GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 2

Rochester City Councilman Matt Haag (left) congratulates Democratic Assembly nominee for the 131st District Harry Bronson at Matthew's Grill on Primary Election night.  Bronson's candidacy is enthusiastically endorsed by CSEA.  (Photos by Ove Overmyer.  Click on images for a larger view.)

Rochester, N.Y.--  Three well-known Rochester residents squared off to represent the 131st Assembly District on Primary Election Day September 14. All three are elected officials, who were trying to grab the vacated seat left by Assemblywoman Susan John who is stepping down after serving the district for 20 years.

Turnout was very low Tuesday, as predicted. CSEA endorsed County Legislature Minority Leader Harry Bronson defeated the two Rochester Board of Education members, Board President Malik Evans and Willa Powell. With 81 of the 82 districts reporting, Bronson tallied 1,532 votes (39.51 percent) to Evans 1,315 votes (33.83 percent) and Powell's 1,040 votes (26.75 percent).

After calling the race on Tuesday night around 11:00 pm, Bronson shook hands and thanked supporters at Matthew's Grill on East Avenue.  Bronson told the CSEA Voice Reporter, “I am humbled and honored to have received the Democratic nomination tonight in the primary and look forward to carrying a message in the general election of reform. I will always put people before politics and look forward to addressing the serious problems this State currently faces.”

Bronson hammered home the message that he is more “aligned” on the issues with people in the district than his opponents, specifically because he is a small business owner, he grew up on a 200-acre farm, and he has the necessary experience to govern in the troubled waters of the state capital.

He also said his County Legislature district, which includes part of southwest Rochester and parts of Henrietta and Brighton, is similar to 131st Assembly District because it includes urban, suburban and rural areas. Voters seemed to agree.

Openings like the one in the 131st Assembly District are very uncommon, according to a 2009 report from the government watchdog group, Citizen’s Union. In the previous 10 years, only 31 of 212 New York State legislature seats have become vacant because of retirement.

In an earlier interview with the CSEA Voice Reporter, Bronson said, "My experience both as a county legislator, as an attorney, as a small business owner-- all those things gives me a skill set that's necessary to negotiate the kind of compromise and legislation that we need to really reform Albany."

The 131st Assembly District includes portions of the city of Rochester, and the towns of Riga, Rush, Chili and Wheatland. There are more than five hundred CSEA members who live in this area.  The district’s voter registration is 47 percent Democratic and 24 percent Republican.

Republican Ken Kraus, a lawyer from Chili, will face Bronson in the general election on November 2.