Benczkowski emerging to challenge Poloncarz
A Cheektowaga real estate executive is circulating designating petitions to challenge Erie County Comptroller Mark C. Poloncarz in September’s Democratic primary.
Diane M. Benczkowski’s candidacy is the result of political collusion between Democratic operative G. Steven Pigeon and Republican County Executive Chris Collins in a joint effort to dislodge him, according to Poloncarz.
“I see this as Steve Pigeon in conjunction with the county executive,” Poloncarz said Monday. “They’re not necessarily expecting to win, but they want to make me spend time and money in the primary.”
Though Benczkowski acknowledged that she has discussed the race with Pigeon, a former Erie County Democratic chairman who opposes Poloncarz, she denied any accusations that her candidacy is being orchestrated.
“I guess I’ll take the support of anyone,” she said. “But I am running my own candidacy, and I’m not a proxy for anyone.”
Benczkowski, 50, is a 20-year veteran of M. J. Peterson Real Estate who served for the last nine years on the Depew School Board. She is a member of the Tri-Community Food Pantry in Depew.
She said Monday she considers herself a “political outsider” who would run the comptroller’s office much differently than Poloncarz.
“I’ve become convinced that the current comptroller spends too much time on politics and not enough time as the watchdog on county finances,” she said. “I’m running on a platform of eliminating waste, fraud and abuse.”
Defeating Poloncarz has emerged as a major goal for Collins during this election season, and he is already backing Republican Philip C. Kadet. But after Pigeon ally Hormoz Mansouri, an Amherst businessman, briefly considered a Democratic challenge, Poloncarz said the new candidate running in the primary will be Benczkowski.
Christopher M. Grant, Collins’ chief of staff, denied the accusation of collusion. “We do not get involved in Democratic politics,” he said.
Benczkowski said she will make a formal announcement of her candidacy in the near future.
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