62ND DISTRICT
Democrats’ State Senate nominee steps aside
LOCKPORT— Donald G. Hobel stepped aside as the Democratic nominee for the 62nd District State Senate seat Monday, giving party leaders the opportunity to replace him, likely with Niagara County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian D. Grear.
Hobel, 78, a registered Conservative from Wheatfield, said the deal was in the cards from the time he agreed to have his name placed on Democratic nominating petitions for the Senate seat held by 13-year Republican incumbent George D. Maziarz.
“Back a couple of months ago when they didn’t seem to have a candidate, [Niagara County Democratic Chairman] Dan Rivera asked me to run,” Hobel said. “A couple of names have surfaced that would run better campaigns than I.” He said one man the Democrats are interested in running is Grear, a registered Republican who had previously announced his intention to challenge Maziarz, RNewfane, in a GOP primary.
Rivera and Grear were coy Monday. “There’ll be announcements forthcoming,” Rivera said.
“We’ll have an announcement forthcoming,” Grear said.
Grear’s campaign manager, Democrat John Villella, said the Democrats’ committee on vacancies, headed by Rivera, has until Friday to choose a replacement nominee for Hobel. “Have we asked to be considered by that committee? Yes,” Villella said. “We’re interested in that line if Mr. Hobel doesn’t want it. It’s not our decision.”
Hobel said the deal was that he would allow his name to be used as the Democratic nominee as long as Democratic operatives circulated Conservative petitions for him, too. That was done.
Hobel said he will continue in the race in a Conservative primary against Maziarz, who was expected to be formally authorized to run by the Conservative Party.
Grear’s status as a Republican means he will still be in the GOP primary against Maziarz, but if Grear loses, he’ll have another chance against Maziarz in November as the Democratic nominee.
Maziarz declined to comment on his opponents’ doings.
The office Grear, a Lockport resident, really wanted to run for was Niagara County sheriff, but delays in Albany — which he blames on Maziarz’s maneuverings — have prevented a primary, or even the circulation of nominating petitions, for that office.
Incumbent Sheriff Thomas A. Beilein, a Democrat who defeated Grear in 2005, was announced by then-Gov. Eliot L. Spitzer in February as his choice for chairman of the state Commission on Corrections.
But Spitzer resigned in March, and Gov. David A. Paterson has never submitted Beilein’s name for State Senate confirmation.
