Foti to run for Niagara County legislator seat

Republican Shawn Foti announced he would seek election to the Niagara County Legislature this November to the seat currently held by Legislator John Syracuse. Syracuse announced he will not seek reelection in order to run for Newfane town supervisor. Foti currently serves on the Newfane Planning Board.

“I am a lifelong resident of Newfane. My wife and I are raising our family here. I am fully invested in our community for the long haul,” Foti said. “John Syracuse has been a leader we can all admire and I hope to follow his footsteps in representing Somerset and Newfane.”

Foti is a project manager with Clark Rigging and Rental, working there for 11 years. He is a graduate of Newfane High School, holds an associate’s degree in mechanical technology from Niagara County Community College and a Bachelor’s Degree from Buffalo State in tech mechanical engineering.

He and his wife, Kim, have been married for nine years. They have a 3-year-old son. Foti has been active with Miller Hose Fire Co. since 2005, where he has held positions of head trustee and secretary interior firefighter and equipment operator. He is also a past president of the Newfane Lions Club and has been active in the Wilson Conservation Club.

“Preserving our great outdoors and protecting our natural resources are very important to me,” he said. “I am concerned about outsiders trying to force the siting of power projects on farmland that our community is opposed to. These need to be local decisions.

“I am a very active outdoorsman and I love to hunt and fish. I remain concerned about efforts to continually chip away at our Second Amendment rights. It’s easy for some to claim to be pro 2A, but unless you are a gun owner and understand all the responsibility and care that entails, I don’t know how hard you actually fight for those rights.”

Foti said his message to voters is simple: “Our community has tremendous assets, but also faces tremendous challenges. We want families moving here. We want the Barker and Newfane school districts growing. We want jobs and economic growth. The fact that I would be new to elective office and bring a fresh perspective, am fully invested in our community and have a stake in our long-term future hopefully resonates with voters.”