The race for the Erie County Legislature’s 14th District involves two veteran restaurateurs from Snyder who want the chance to represent parts of Amherst, the Town of Tonawanda and Cheektowaga.

Democratic incumbent Thomas A. Loughran, owner of Loughran’s Bar and Restaurant on Main Street, is facing a stiff challenge from Republican Amherst Council Member Shelly Schratz, owner of Bing’s Restaurant on Kensington Avenue, one mile away.

Aside from the fact that both run well-known eating establishments, both also support a referendum to downsize the County Legislature from 15 seats to nine.

Disparities between the two candidates do exist, however.

Schratz has the benefit of a well-financed campaign that is subsidized by the state Republican Committee and County Executive Chris Collins’ political action committee, the candidates said. Schratz has also raised $25,000 on her own, she said.

Loughran, meanwhile, has raised roughly $13,500, according to the state Board of Elections, and contends that he’s being dramatically outspent because Schratz’s campaign is receiving outside financial support.

“I’m getting outmailed here four-to-one,” he said of the campaign mailers being sent to district residents.

Loughran, 58, has owned his restaurant business for 30 years, moving it to its current Main Street location in 1993. He served for 15 months on the Amherst Town Board in 1996-97 and has served as a county legislator since 2006.

“I think I bring a business perspective that was lacking in this Legislature,” he said.

He emphasizes his role in helping the county stabilize its finances after the fiscal crisis sparked by County Executive Joel Giambra. As a legislator, he said, he support the buildup of county reserves and three years of “honest, balanced budgets.”

He added that he was the only legislator to vote against the county budget last year. At the time, he said, the county didn’t know federal stimulus money would be available this year, and without it the county would be facing a $20 million deficit.

Among his other accomplishments, Loughran said, he pushed to end logging in county-owned forests as former chairman of the Energy and Environment Committee and has strongly supported UB2020 expansion plans at the University at Buffalo. He is endorsed by the Democratic, Conservative, Working Families parties.

Schratz, 52, has owned and operated Bing’s Restaurant since 1989. She has served on the Amherst Town Board since 2002, finishing her second term in office. She previously ran for the county clerk’s seat in 2006.

As a Town Board member, Schratz has been a staunch supporter of Supervisor Satish Mohan and is not considered a friend of unions. She said her assertive personality and voting independence are assets.

“I have to go by what my conscience tells me is right,” she said. “So yeah, I’m going to stir the pot.”

Among her accomplishments, she said, she co-sponsored a term-limit resolution for the board, pushed for inhouse management of the Amherst Pepsi Center and helped establish the Eggertsville Community Center.

As a legislator, she said, she would push to reduce legislative pay and eliminate district offices. She is endorsed by the Republican and Independence parties.