William T. Stachowski is the old pol in this fight, a college football player who grew up in East Side politics and spent his first 26 years in the State Senate toiling in the minority party.

He took pride in working behind the scenes, serving his constituents by bringing home pork from the state budget for grass-roots projects such as the construction of a veterans treatment center and the renovation of the Roycroft Power House.

"Stack" made friends with governors, party chairmen and influential labor leaders, and his loyalty to Democratic kingpins was rewarded -- to a point -- when his side finally took control of the Senate last year.

Timothy M. Kennedy comes out of South Buffalo politics, a Democrat who is part of the coalition that runs the Erie County Legislature with the backing of the Republican county executive.

He presents himself as the energetic, anti-Albany outsider who wants to push out the incumbent. But Kennedy has some powerful friends of his own, including Seneca Nation of Indians leaders, Rep. Brian Higgins of Buffalo and Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown.

This bruising contest will wade into everything from gay marriage and taxing Indian sales of tobacco to non-Indians to economic development and the state's budget woes.

And a formidable foe with a famous political name, Assemblyman Jack F. Quinn III of Hamburg, waits to take on the winner of the Democrats' battle.

The stakes are high: The outcome may decide whether Democrats -- and their New York City-based leaders -- continue to control both house of the State Legislature for the next decade.

So expect a lot money and words to be spent on this fight.

"People are frustrated with what's happening in Albany, and they're frustrated with the current incumbent, Bill Stachowski. And they're looking for change and they're looking for leadership," Kennedy said in a lengthy interview in his campaign headquarters near Our Lady of Victory Basilica.

Stachowski says he knows he is in a tough fight, but he insists he is more than prepared.

"As long as you still have the energy and the new ideas to move forward, I think that being an incumbent is a great advantage. And my job is to sell to people what advantage we provide by having the experience from having been there," Stachowski said in his campaign office, a former KeyBank branch in Cheektowaga.

The 58th Senate District covers downtown, South Buffalo, Lackawanna and the towns of Cheektowaga, West Seneca, Hamburg and Eden.

It has 99,918 registered Democrats, 39,841 Republicans and 41,241 other voters.

Positioned for power 

Stachowski has represented the district since winning a special election in 1981.

His father, Stanley, was a Democratic power broker and Buffalo's parks commissioner.

Stachowski went to Bishop Ryan High School, played varsity football in college and served seven low-profile years in the Erie County Legislature before running for the State Senate. "I like government, I like the challenge, and I especially like being able to help people," he said.

With Democrats in the minority for years, Stachowski got fewer staff members, a smaller office and less pork money to hand out than his GOP colleagues.

Stachowski's position changed in 2008, when the Democrats won control of the Senate by the narrowest of margins.

He finally was in line to take over as chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee.

But a less-senior senator from New York City threatened to bolt from the majority, and that resulted in him getting the chairmanship. Stachowski was loyal to his party leaders and said he didn't consider holding his colleagues hostage.

"My gut feeling is, if I had done that, the same people that are criticizing me for not getting Finance, would be criticizing me for holding up all of government so that I could personally benefit by being the Finance chair," Stachowski said.

Last summer, a coup all but shut down state government for a month. This year's state budget was finally wrapped up 18 weeks late.

Stachowski briefly held up the budget, based on an issue some consider important to this area.

He held back his vote for the revenue portion of the budget until his colleagues agreed to give the University at Buffalo more flexibility to operate, including raising tuition.

He and others view the measure as key to boosting the region's economy, but Stachowski finally gave in last week.

Stachowski, now 61, indicates he knows that incumbents aren't much better loved than BP executives these days, but said his experience still means something.

He points to legislation he co-sponsored this session such as Amanda's Law, which requires carbon monoxide detectors in every home, and another bill that ensures more of the profits from the Niagara Power Project stay in the area.

Walking the district

Kennedy said he decided to run late last year.

The 33-year-old St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute graduate worked as an occupational therapist after college.

His father, Martin, is Buffalo's commissioner of assessment and taxation.

But Kennedy said the advice of a professor prompted him to get involved in politics, first as an intern for Higgins when now-congressman was serving in the Assembly.

He was named to the County Legislature by fellow Democrats in late 2004, when he was dropped into then-County Executive Joel A. Giambra's red budget-green budget fiasco.

This year he is part of a group of three Democrats and six Republicans who run the Legislature.

"When it comes to moving government forward and creating an efficient and effective government, I will work with whoever I need to work with to deliver results for the people of Erie County," Kennedy said.

Stachowski turned down overtures to join the GOP-led coup last summer. "I don't make those kinds of deals. Those deals are usually made for self-gain, for whatever purpose, and I don't do that," he said.

Both contenders agreed the voters they talk to are most concerned about jobs and taxes.

Both also want to make the state more hospitable to companies by cutting taxes. But neither sounded enthusiastic about changing labor laws opposed by many businesses.

Tax cuts would require offsetting cuts to the state's budget.

Kennedy called for saving money by consolidating the state's public authorities and by reforming the Medicaid program to cut out fraud and abuse.

Stachowski pinned most of the state's financial problems on the recession that devastated the world economy and on spending decisions made by Senate Republicans and then-Gov. George E. Pataki.

While Kennedy says he believes Gov. David A. Paterson was right to veto nearly $200 million in member items last month, Stachowski disagrees.

The incumbent said the programs are valuable and, because the money for the items was approved in previous years but not scheduled to be spent until this year, those vetoes have no impact on the current fiscal year.

Kennedy says he believes the state does not have the authority to collect taxes on the sale of tobacco on American Indian land. He has received donations from Seneca business operators, including $15,500 from J.C. Seneca.

Stachowski said he wants the state to reach a deal with the Senecas to end this impasse.

Two more challengers 

Stachowski and Kennedy aren't the only primary candidates.

Michael Kuzma of Buffalo, an aide to the Buffalo Common Council president, and Thomas P. Casey, a public health engineer and education activist, are long shots.

Kuzma and Casey say they want to bring attention to issues they care about, such as term limits.

Kennedy out-raised Stachowski in the first six months of the year, $220,806 to $142,494, but Stachowski had more cash on hand at the end of June.

Kennedy has the support of Brown and Higgins.

Stachowski is backed by State Senate leaders, though they may not get involved in the primary, and Leonard R. Lenihan, chairman of the Erie County Democratic Party.

If Democrats hold on to the Senate majority and control of the Assembly, they will be able to redraw legislative and congressional district lines to favor Democratic candidates for 10 years.

In the November general election, Stachowski has the Independence Party line, and Kennedy has the Conservative line, so both will be on the ballot no matter what happens Sept. 14.

swatson@buffnews.comnull