The Town of Lancaster Democratic Committee

10/31/2026

Happy Halloween, Lancaster! Polls are closed now but open tomorrow at nine! You can use our extra hour to vote for Lancaster's own, Ryan Taughrin for NYS Assembly and Sara Marmion for Erie County Legislature!

10/30/2026

There are four days left to vote! Here are four things to know about the race for Erie County Legislature for District 8.

1. Our current representative, Frank Todaro, has a complicated relationship with math. He made some claims about the county budget that weren't exactly fiscally sound.

2. He also has a complicated relationship with voting. He voted for repairs and a new shelter for Como Lake Park but then made a video complaining about the project he voted for and implying it shouldn't have happened.

3. If elected, Sara Marmion will be the first (as far as we can tell) and the only nurse serving in the Legislature.

4. Sara is focused on solutions, not performative actions like pausing the gas tax like Frank wants. Doing so would take away thousands of dollars that local towns and school districts rely on.

Early voting starts today at noon and runs until 9 PM. You can vote at any early voting location in Erie County. Vote Sara Marmion for Erie County Legislature!

10/29/2026

That's Lancaster Village Trustee AND Lancaster Democratic Committee Vice Chair Gavin O'Brien!

At Monday's board meeting, Village of Lancaster Trustee Gavin O’Brien discussed his concerns about Flock camera data security when sharing feeds and information with neighboring departments, engaging in dialogue with Captain Andrew Speyer about recent abuses by officers reported in Cheektowaga.

Responding to Speyer's statement that the oversight process worked in Cheektowaga, O'Brien questioned the amount of time it took for that oversight to take effect.

“To be fair, these abuses happened over months,” O’Brien said. “It worked, eventually, after over 200 times that these cameras were accessed, and I think that’s unnerving to know that we have to rely on other departments’ policies and procedures.”

Check out the full story in this week's edition of the Lancaster-Depew Bee.

Full article avaliable online:
https://www.beenews.com/lancaster_bee/news/obrien-airs-concerns-over-flock-camera-data-security-at-village-meeting/article_0c342751-2de4-4b5b-b852-3c180cfa9fea.html

10/29/2026

There are five days left to vote and we're going to get a little wonky! Here are five (plus 2 bonus and one thank you!) things to know about our current Assemblymember's voting record.

1. When given the opportunity to vote to prohibit surveillance pricing (A09349) Pat could have joined 3 fellow Republicans to vote against it. He didn't.

2. He 👏 Voted 👏 Against 👏The 👏 Dignity 👏 In 👏 Pregnancy 👏 and 👏 Childbirth 👏 Act (S06983).

3. He worked with a Dem to get a hotel tax passed for Cheektowaga. Yay! But when a Democrat, Assemblyman Skoufis, asked him to cross party lines and vote for hotel taxes in Skoufis' community (S06047), Chudzinski voted no. Boo!

4. He doesn't even support his fellow Republicans bills (S07966) around hotel taxes! And he doesn't seem to like Bruce Blakeman's policies! He voted against a hotel tax - proposed by a Long Island Republican, Assemblymember Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick - for Nassau County.

5. When given the opportunity to say it's wrong to shackle pregnant women when they are in labor, to say correction officers cannot use "excessive force" against them (S02667), 88% of Democrats and 50% of Republican Assemblymembers voted for a ban. Our Representative voted against the ban.

These votes were all floor votes. Pat also made a few eyebrow raising decisions in committee.

1. He serves on the Aging Committee where they're working to solve transportation challenges many Seniors face. One proposal (A06496) was to make a more efficient structure for municipalities to purchase buses. He voted no.

2. He also serves on the Health Committee that is working to improve the network of nursing homes across the state. Right now, a nursing home operator can shut down with no warning to residents - the state is trying to fix that (A11326.) Pat voted no.

We, though, have to thank Pat when he got it right. Glad to see he voted yes to allow the Volunteer and Exempt Firefighter's Benevolent Association of Bethpage to change "firemen" to "firefighters"!

Early voting starts today at noon and runs until 9 PM and it's a perfect day to vote for Ryan Taughrin for NYS Assembly.

10/28/2026

Six days of voting left! Here are some things you may not know about six (plus 1) of the amazing Democrats running to represent Lancaster!

Sara Marmion for Erie County Legislature is a not only a nurse, she has a Master of Legal Studies focusing on Healthcare Law and Regulation, and she loves all things Disney. She graduated from Lancaster High School and will take all comers at Taylor Swift trivia nights.

Ryan Taughrin for NYS Assembly (NYS 143) was key in starting the Tunnel to Towers race here in WNY and helped with the OG Buffalo WingFest. While school buildings were closed during COVID, he was a regular visitor to his wife's Zoom classroom where he read to the students, decked out in costume.

Vote Donna Dye Sholk (NYS 144) has volunteered with Challenger Sports of WNY for years. She knows the ins and outs of utility costs and has been an advocate for lower costs for years, spending countless hours meeting with lawmakers. If you want a candidate who understands how to use the statehouse to lower utility costs, she's who you want!

Steve Meyer for Erie County Clerk and his wife just welcomed a new baby girl! One of her first public outings was meeting voters at the recent Williamsville Get Out the Vote Rally, where her Dad is a trustee.

Aaron Gies for Congress is a cantor in his parish, a professor of Theology and Franciscan Studies at St. Bonaventure, and has held almost 100 town halls since announcing his candidacy. He'll hit 100+ by Tuesday (if we count the upcoming Bills Watch party - and we do!)!

Letitia James is the first woman Attorney General for the State of New York. Trump really does not like her. She does not care.

Bonus! Governor Kathy Hochul with her mother and grandmother, started the Kathleen Mary House, a transitional home for victims of domestic violence. She served on the Hamburg Town Board for 14 years before becoming Erie County Clerk. She is the 57th and first women governor of New York State.

Polls open at noon today and close at 9. You can vote at any of the early voting locations in Erie County, including the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site at 641 Delaware Avenue.

10/27/2026

You've probably heard Mr. Rogers' advice: "when I was a boy and would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping."

The Democratic line this year is full of helpers.

Ryan Taughrin for NYS Assembly helps first-generation college students find their footing. He helped organize the first Tunnel to Towers race here in WNY and state-wide organizations of helpers including New York State United Teachers, New York Nurses Association, and Caring Majority Rising have endorsed him.

Sara Marmion for Erie County Legislature is a dialysis nurse and an advocate for children with disabilities. She is a steady and reliable presence in her children's schools and understands how county and state governments can work together to help more families.

Aaron Gies for Congress is a professor and tireless volunteer in his community. Vote Donna Dye Sholk is a foster parent and community volunteer.

We have the opportunity to elect a slate of community-minded helpers who have all committed to making life better for Western NYers. They know what needs to be done and are ready to get started.

Early voting runs today from noon until 9 PM.

10/26/2026

The Republicans are spreading lies and misinformation again! This topic is quite personal to me. I have seen first hand how people struggle to afford the care they need.

Universal healthcare, or healthcare for all, or Medicare for all (whatever you want to call it) does NOT mean that the government controls your medical care. In fact it functions exactly like Medicaid and Medicare already do. You get a plan (ideally a few options!) and then you see the doctor you want and the doctors control your medical care. *Not* politicians. Also, should you wish you can stay on the single payer plan you already have through your employer! It’s super easy to navigate because you are already doing so with the insurance you have (it just is free).

Universal healthcare IS a way to close the gap for hundreds of thousands of people who cannot afford insurance. When uninsured people have to use ERs for medical care, it racks up ER wait times. People who cannot then afford to pay out of pocket for expensive medical visits, the hospitals write those expenses off and end up charging insured folks more down the line. Those costs trickle down to us in the form of increased health insurance premiums.

This is what we mean when we say healthcare is a human right. We all deserve to have affordable care, and even if you don’t opt into the state plans, they will benefit you.

Voting straight down the democratic ticket this November gives us the best chance at passing a universal healthcare act and ensuring every New Yorker can afford healthcare, their way.

10/26/2026

10/26/2026

The Democratic Party message this election is simple: government can and should make our lives easier, not harder.

At the county level, Sara Marmion for Erie County Legislature - a nurse - knows the importance of careful attention to detail and how to do research. At the state level, Ryan Taughrin for NYS Assembly - a first-generation college student - knows how challenging it can be to live paycheck to paycheck and have to struggle to work and pay for childcare. They know what people need and how government can help.

They both have a clear vision and a Day 1 plans to work towards making all of our lives better.

Early voting is now open and runs until 9 PM. You can vote at any of the locations listed below. Vote for the candidates that have a plan to make our lives easier and let's show the incumbents who are making it harder that their time is over.