Election Day 2019: New mayor in Niagara Falls; Wallace & MacSwan reelected; Whitney to take over on Grand Island

Staff Reports

More Election Day results:

Niagara Falls

•Democrat Robert M. Restaino will be the Cataract City’s next mayor, following a dominant performance Tuesday. He won his election by a nearly 2-1 margin, defeating Republican challenger Glenn A. Choolokian by a 4,835-2,441 margin.

Also in Niagara Falls, City Council candidate Kenneth M. Tompkins (5,442 votes/31.53%) was the top vote-getter. John Spanbauer (4,366/25.30%) has a razor-thin lead on Alicia Kenyon (4,337/25.13%)

Town of Niagara/Town of Wheatfield

•The supervisors in the towns of Niagara and Wheatfield will return for another term in office. Both Lee Wallace (Republican/Democrat lines 1,012 votes) and Don MacSwan (Republican, 3,014) ran unopposed.

Clerks Sylvia Virtuoso (Town of Niagara, 1,054/100%) and Kathleen Harrington McDonell (Town of Wheatfield, 3,040/99.51%), likewise, were reelected after running unopposed.

Town of Niagara councilmen Richard A. Sirianni (999/46.99%) and Samuel S. Gatto (653/30.71%) won their race.

Town of Wheatfield councilmen Gilbert Doucet (2,913/49.84%) and Larry Helwig (2,880/49.27%) ran unopposed and were successful.

Town of Porter

•Town of Porter Councilmen Jeffrey Baker (1,268/50.84%) and Lawrence White (1,218/48.84%), likewise, ran without challengers and were triumphant.

Clerk Kara Hibbard was unopposed and netted 1,285 votes (99.69%).

City of North Tonawanda

•Clerk/Treasurer Matthew Parish (3,396/53.67%) won, topping Nicholas Phelps Jr. (2,926/46.25%)

Robert Pecoraro (3,233/51.40%) was elected alderman at large, defeating Robert Brennan (3,051/48.51%). Other elected aldermen included Robert Schmigel (Ward 1, 1,144 votes/54.71%), Donna Braun (Ward 2, 852/52.27%) and Eric Zadzilka (Ward 3, 1,360/52.43%).

Niagara County

•Republican Seventh District Niagara County Legislator Jesse Gooch (1,622/53.58%) was reelected, defeating Democrat Erik A. Herbert (1,402/46.32%)

•Niagara County Clerk Joseph Jastrzemski ran unopposed and was reelected with 35,751 votes (99.66%). He was the Republican and Democrat parties nominee.

Erie County

•In Erie County, Executive Mark C. Poloncarz, a Democrat, was reelected, topping GOP challenger Lynne Dixon by almost 15,000 votes (109,396, or 53.5%, to 95,168, or 46.5%)

•Incumbent Fourth District Legislator Kevin Hardwick (11,040/53.2%), also a Democrat, defeated Republican opponent Jacob McMahon (9,708/46.8%).

Grand Island

•On Grand Island, Republican John C. Whitney will take the reins from Supervisor Nathan McMurray, who declined to run for reelection. Whitney (3,522/52%) bested Democrat James R. Sharpe (2,472/36.5%) and Independent Thomas J. Franz (785/11.6%).

Republicans Thomas A. Digati (3,702/28.2%) and Michael H. Madigan (3,689/28.1%) will serve on the Town Board, edging out Democrats Beverly A. Kinney (2,989/22.8%) and Jennifer L. Pusatier (2,744/20.9%).

Town Clerk Patricia A. Frentzel was reelected (4,906/72.3%), victorious in her campaign against George M. Hauss (1,879/27.7%).

All Election Day results are unofficial until formally certified by the Niagara County Board of Elections/Erie County Board of Elections.