elections 2023

Niagara Falls NY – As the city’s eminent domain legal fight to take 10 acres of private property from Niagara Falls Redevelopment continues, Mayor Robert Restaino has two messages for his dwindling supporters. One, above all, the city needs Centennial Park, the mayor’s boondoggle dream – a $250 million plan with a 7,000-seat arena, a 500-car parking ramp and a four acre park crammed with a splash pad, ice-skating rink, zip lines, parking ramp climbing wall, adventure courses, and other amenities. And two: Since the city does not have the money or manpower to maintain its 35 parks. He wants

Restaino’s Alliance with the Conservative Party May Have Secured Win Democrat Mayor Robert Restaino has a small lead over Republican Carl Cain in the hotly contested Niagara Falls mayoral election. As of press time, Restaino leads by slightly over 200 votes, with affidavit and absentee ballots yet to be counted. The race could still go either way, but for Cain to win, he would have to pick up a significantly higher percentage of outstanding ballots to offset Restaino’s lead. According to unofficial totals from the Niagara County Board of Elections, Restaino garnered 3,455 votes, with Cain trailing behind at 3,253. This narrow

By Tony Farina Election day is within sight (Tuesday) and there is a lot at stake in Niagara Falls for voters to consider, not the least of which is trying to keep the city in balance and not surrendering to the mysterious agenda of the incumbent mayor, Robert Restaino, who wants to control everything from his desk at city hall with little tolerance for opposing views. Retired Deputy Police Chief Carlton Cain, incumbent Councilmember Vincent Cauley, and CPA Michael Gawel, three Republicans, have put their agenda before the people, with crime, empty promises from Mayor Restaino, and a development impasse

Niagara Falls City Council Member Vincent Cauley is emerging as a force to reckon with. Known for his assertive stance, Cauley has vocally challenged Mayor Robert Restaino’s extravagant use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. As a member of the Republican majority of the Niagara Falls City Council, Cauley filled the term of a retiring council member last December. Since then, he has been vocal about his belief that the city is moving in the wrong direction. In a divided City Council vote on the renewal of recycling and refuse fees, Cauley, along with Council Member Donta Myles, voted

By Brandon M. Stickney “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson For a time, human rights activist Malcolm X meant trouble for young Carlton “Carl” Cain. Malcolm’s autobiography, co-authored by Alex Haley, was nearly 500 nonfiction pages long, weighing in at nearly two confounding pounds. Two pounds of abuse, sadness, anger, philosophy, uprising, fighting, peace, religion, enlightenment, and a quest for human rights for a Niagara Catholic high schooler? Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essays seemed a little easier, but history teacher Ms. Fields had assigned both

By Dennis Elsenbeck I have lived and worked in Western New York for decades now. Many in the area know me from the nearly 30 years I spent at Niagara Mohawk and National Grid (culminating in the position of regional director for Western New York), or from my role on New York State’s Climate Action Council. I’m currently a consultant to the Niagara Digital Campus, a joint project between Urbacon and Niagara Falls Redevelopment (NFR) to bring a $1.5 billion data center development to downtown Niagara Falls. At NFR’s expense, National Grid recently completed an Engineering Assessment that has concluded

As part of a series highlighting the Black candidates currently running for office in the City of Niagara Falls, this article will focus specifically on Democratic candidate for city council Brian Archie. In this series we will examine the Black candidates and judge them not by the color of their skin, but by their own words, thoughts, ideas and platforms. A potentially historic moment is hanging in the balance for Niagara Falls politics. Two candidates for mayor, Republican frontrunner Carl Cain and underdog activist Demetreus Nix (WAWG) are both challenging incumbent Mayor Robert Restaino. Both challengers are Black men with

This article is part of a series highlighting the Black candidates currently running for office in the City of Niagara Falls, focusing specifically on candidate for city council Uniquia Lewis. In this series we will examine the Black candidates and judge them not by the color of their skin, but by their own words, thoughts, ideas and platforms. A potentially historic moment is hanging in the balance for Niagara Falls politics. Two candidates for mayor, Republican frontrunner Carl Cain and underdog activist/entrepreneur Demetreus Nix (WAWG) are both challenging incumbent Mayor Robert Restaino. Both challengers are Black men with almost polar

This article is part of a series highlighting the Black candidates currently running for office in the City of Niagara Falls. This article will focus specifically on Republican candidate for city council Vincent Cauley, who is running for re-election. In this series we will examine the Black candidates and judge them not by the color of their skin, but by their own words, thoughts, ideas and platforms. A potentially historic moment is hanging in the balance for Niagara Falls politics. Two candidates for mayor, Republican frontrunner Carl Cain and underdog activist/entrepreneur Demetreus Nix (WAWG) are both challenging incumbent Mayor Robert

This article is part of a series highlighting the Black candidates currently running for office in the City of Niagara Falls. This article will specifically focus on mayoral candidate Carl Cain. In this series, we strive to examine the Black candidates and judge them not by the color of their skin, but by their own words, thoughts, ideas and platforms. A potentially historic moment is hanging in the balance for Niagara Falls politics. Two candidates for mayor, Republican frontrunner Carl Cain and underdog activist/entrepreneur Demetreus Nix (WAWG) are both challenging incumbent Mayor Robert Restaino. Both challengers are Black men with

By Tony Farina The New York Coalition for Open Government has long called on Mayor Robert Restaino to stop calling so many special sessions with the council where the public cannot comment on the issues of the day, effectively being shut out from participating on important matters at the special meetings. “Most public bodies in New York allow the public to speak,” according to Paul Wolf,  president of the coalition, and if there was any consensus at Wednesday night’s council and mayoral debates, it was in agreement with the idea of not closing meetings to public input to handle Restaino’s

By Tony Farina Politics is definitely in the air in Niagara Falls with the election just around the corner on Nov. 7. Two council hopefuls working very hard to reach voters are Vincent Cauley, an engineer by trade, and CPA Michael Gawel, with both running on the Republican and Conservative lines for two open seats on the City Council. Cauley is telling voters he wants to be a part of the solution for the taxpayers of Niagara Falls not continue the frustration, and believes the city should be rolling out the red carpet for development opportunities like NFR’s $1.5

Michael S. Gawel, a former councilman and current candidate for the City of Niagara Falls Council, has a clear vision for the future of the city. Having served the community before, he is no stranger to the challenges and opportunities that come with public service. He has extensive knowledge in tax accounting and finance, offering services such as Accounting, Bookkeeping, Small Business Tax, Financial Accounting, Tax Preparation, and Personal Tax Planning. By Michael S. Gawel Candidate for Niagara Falls City Council, I want to share my vision for our city’s future. My commitment is to you, the residents of Niagara

Welcome to the first installment of our series of interviews with mayoral candidate Carl Cain, a retired police officer who served the Niagara Falls Police Department with distinction for 30 years, retiring as Deputy Chief. With Election Day slated for November 7, 2023, the 59-year-old Republican candidate is engaged in an intense campaign. Cain’s opponent, incumbent Mayor Robert Restaino, is running on the Conservative and Democratic party lines. With degrees spanning criminal justice from Niagara Community College, philosophy from the University of Buffalo, a master’s in business and an educational doctorate in leadership from Liberty University, Cain brings a unique

Is Mayor Robert Restaino losing his grip on reality? In his latest campaign ad—trumpeted with great fanfare for days on Facebook—Mayor Robert Restaino suggests NFR and Urbacon’s Niagara Digital Campus development proposal is not real. Not real? • Is Mayor Restaino suggesting the company Urbacon, a Toronto-based developer and operator of state-of-the-art data centers, isn’t real? • Does he not remember meeting with Urbacon officials in September 2021, then visiting the Urbacon facilities… weeks before he turned his back on the privately funded Niagara Digital Campus project, and instead decided to launch his speculative and unfunded Centennial Park project? Is

By Tony Farina It looks like the Oct. 25 debate between Mayor Robert Restaino and challenger Carl Cain, a retired deputy police superintendent, has all the makings of a rip-snorting political slugfest between two long-time Niagara Falls figures, one a lawyer and the other a cop. But lost in the give and take over Cain’s personnel file that has suddenly become an issue is the overriding concern about the best road ahead for the Cataract City, with Restaino and Cain total opposites on development opportunities that may spell the future for a struggling city facing financial strain. Adding jobs and

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. The following is a screenshot taken directly from the main webpage of Mayor Restaino’s 2019 campaign platform. These are his top three campaign promises: For clarity, it reads: Development. We must focus on business development that can deliver employment with wages to empower families and help stabilize neighborhoods. Transparency. The citizens of Niagara Falls have had enough “spin” from this administration. It’s time for candor, clarity, openness, honesty and accountability from City government. Collaborative Government. Residents will no longer shoulder the burden of partisanship and petty politics. Remember when Mayor Restaino

By Tony Farina     Vincent Cauley is a member of the Republican majority of the Niagara Falls City Council, named last December to fill out the term of retiring council member John Spanbauer. Cauley and fellow Republican Michael Gawel are candidates for the two open seats on the council, and Cauley tells the Niagara Falls Reporter there is much work to be done in many areas for his city and that’s why he’s running for election next month. “Public safety is the number one issue in this election,” says Cauley, who says his interaction with the community makes it

By Tony Farina The Niagara Falls mayoral race is turning ugly.  Just ask Republican candidate Carl Cain who is alleging that Mayor Restaino, a Democrat, and his appointed police chief, John Faso, have managed to deliver messages to him through two of his friends that he could face the public release of damaging information from his police personnel file if he stays in the race against Restaino.  Cain said both his friends were directed to deliver the mayor’s and police chief’s messages to him, and they did. Cain, who said Tuesday he is “extremely upset” over the actions of the

The following was written by investigative journalist Ken Cosentino. MAYOR RESTAINO AND THE SO-CALLED “BLACK VOTE” Mayor Restaino has been handing out “candy,” but it’s not Halloween yet. It’s election season, and that candy is actually grant money. This past week, Mayor Restaino announced that he was awarding $100,000 to Christ Redemption Tabernacle Church, located at 339 22nd Street. While I have no personal quarrel with the church accepting our tax dollars to repair their roof, I do sincerely hope that Bishop Kevin Dobbs and his parish know that they’ve shaken hands with the devil. These types of Faustian agreements

By Tony Farina When attorney Dan Spitzer, a partner in the Hodgson Russ law firm, gives his counsel to city leaders about the ongoing eminent domain legal battle between the city and NFR over competing development projects, he is getting paid by the hour by city taxpayers. Spitzer, siding with the city, has called the latest appeal by NFR in the eminent domain fight “nothing more than a delay tactic,” and he gave that advice while being paid by the taxpayers. So how much is the city paying Hodgson Russ to provide that counsel?   That question is now going

By Ken Cosentino The Niagara Reporter spoke with one of Mayor Robert Restaino’s 46 victims from the infamous 2005 “cell phone incident.” In 2005, Judge Robert Restaino wrongfully imprisoned 46 people after verbally abusing them for two hours, in an event that was described as “two hours of inexplicable madness” by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct. It’s actually quite difficult for a judge to be removed from the bench. The commission stated “removal is not normal to be imposed for poor judgment, even extremely poor judgment,” adding that Restaino acted as a “petty tyrant” and “without any

The one big question in Niagara Falls is whether Mayor Robert Restaino merely snapped – when he placed his hand in front of a camera – or whether he is unraveling and headed for another mental health breakdown. His history of suspected mental illness is not new. On March 11, 2005, when he was a city court judge, he jailed 46 people in his courtroom when a cell phone call interrupted proceedings. As a result, he was removed from his $113,900-per-year judgeship by a state commission. Yes, a phone rang while Restaino heard the cases of domestic violence offenders, who

By Ken Cosentino After reading Matt Cole’s recent op-ed entitled “The Indifference of Good Men!” I felt compelled to reply with this, my own guest view. I intend to address Cole’s statements, but first I wondered “Just who is Matt Cole?” A quick Google search revealed a nine year old article which quoted Restaino-appointed NFWB Chairman Nick Forster, praising Cole while simultaneously endorsing him as a candidate for State Assembly. Cole was unsuccessful in his bid for office. Cole’s guest view ends with the following quote from Edmund Burke, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that

By Ken Cosentino After the video of Mayor Restaino’s meltdown was posted to Twitter, over 100,000 people viewed it online within 24 hours. Among those commenting on Twitter was Daniel Telvock, who said, “File assault charges. He cannot touch Ben or his equipment. Bizarre is putting that lightly. Still waiting on my FOIL, my Mayor. And a new one is coming, to find out how much spent on following a police officer around with narcotic detectives removed from their normal duties.” Daniel Telvock is an investigative producer with WIVB-Channel 4 news. Telvock’s FOIL request is one that has been the

By Matt Cole This 138 year old city of ours – who’s name is quite literally known in all corners of the Earth – has hosted Presidents, Kings & Queens, legendary celebrities, and built engineering wonders that have changed our world. Yet, somehow, the same city has been plagued with corruption, filth, crime, and blight for 50 years. And, every single administration in at least the last 30 years has left it worse off than that they found it. Every single one. It is a statement of fact that the current administration inherited a city literally on the very brink

Mayor’s Unpredictable Anger Strikes Again By Ken Cosentino Folks, we literally have a petty tyrant as our mayor. While awaiting election results Tuesday night, Mayor Robert Restaino could no longer suppress the impotent rage that has become synonymous with his legacy. Once again, Restaino displayed his ugly and explosive temperament to the public. In an embarrassing show of his infamous hair-trigger temper, Restaino lashed out at WGRZ-TV journalist Ben Read during an onscreen interview. Viewers quickly learned why major news outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, BBC and The Guardian once reported that Restaino is

By Glenn Choolokian First, I would like to Thank all the voters that voted for me and also, I would like to Thank all the people that I met that opened their doors for me while I was campaigning. I worked very hard to get my message out throughout the entire city and I am very proud of that. Though I was very disappointed with the voter turnout and also the rainy weather these are two things that I could not control. The last couple of days I have been contacted by so many people and groups registered from all

Mayor Restaino Declares War on Unflattering Questions with Hand By Ken Cosentino   Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino won the Democratic primary on Tuesday night. His win was majorly overshadowed by a (now viral) interview between himself and WGRZ-TV photojournalist Ben Read. That video has been viewed over 100,000 times online in less than 24 hours. When Read asked Restaino “How would you grade the city at this point,” a levee somewhere inside Restaino’s brain collapsed and he could no longer control his impish anger. Restaino lashed out at Read, saying, “How would I grade the city? The city that

By Tony Farina Former Republican State Sen. George Maziarz was crushed by his two Republican rivals as the three were vying for two open seats on the Newfane Town Board. Robert Horanburg and Pete Robinson, both endorsed by the Niagara County Republican Committee, also have the Conservative line and on Primary night, they easily overwhelmed Maziarz, a long time political powerhouse when he served in the State Senate and ruled Niagara County politics with an iron fist. Maziarz is a long-time Newfane resident. Horanburg and Robinson buried Maziarz by better than 3 to 1 in Tuesday’s Primary voting, stopping any comeback

By Glenn Choolokian Niagara Falls is at all-time low. Our residents are looking for work, looking for safe streets, and looking for REAL leadership. It is said that you can learn the most about a leader in times of difficulty. The last four years our current Mayor has failed Niagara Falls and its citizens in every way possible. Our current Mayor has let New York State, the Casino and a tax payer funded event center project on NFR land come before our families and our small businesses. Over the years our city has been plagued by corrupt politicians that only

By Michael S. Gawel for Niagara Falls City Council No one wants to pay more taxes. In fact, a big part of my career has been devoted to help people find legal ways to pay less income taxes. As for City property taxes, you can decrease the individual tax burden by cutting city services, funding new revenue sources or increasing the tax base. There are a number of ways to increase the tax base; have business and industry  build more buildings like Urbacon or bars and restaurants on Third Street. Another way is to increase the residential tax bases by

By Ken Cosentino Ernie Bivins AKA “Black Ernie” is one of Niagara Falls’ most recognizable citizens. As a comedian, he has shared the stage with big names such as Mike Epps. Ernie has also been deeply involved in local politics since as far back as 1992. In 2019, Ernie was a significant part of Mayor Robert Restaino’s election campaign. He put together a crew of friends and helped pass out flyers and signs in the Fourth District. He also registered new voters and helped drive people to the polls. On election night, Ernie was Restaino’s runner – meaning he picked

By Glenn A. Choolokian The continued destruction of our once historic city has been caused by the failure of leadership from our current Mayor Robert Restaino. He abandoned this city to crime; no basic city services and he has sacrificed this community for No opportunities or success to happen. He went AWOL, He has continued the procedure of a lack of transparency at City Hall. Recently the word “transparency” (or the lack of) has been heard coming out of City Hall and around the entire city.  It seems to be a key buzz-word from some of our current city council

38 year old Gaelan Baillie is a lifelong resident of Niagara County, and he’s managed to accomplish something few ever have: Gaelan is a successful business owner in the city of Niagara Falls, NY. As a homegrown entrepreneur, what Gaelan has accomplished is truly remarkable. He is the owner and operator of Sight See Rentals, a recreational rental company located on Old Falls Street. As someone who has experienced hardship and political oppression, Gaelan decided it was time for him to be more involved in politics. Not because he wants a career as a politician (he doesn’t), but because he’s

By Ken Cosentino Democratic candidate for mayor Demetreus Nix is officially back on the ballot. Nix has overcome unfathomable adversity during his campaign, including the tragic loss of a child. Nothing has stopped him from pursuing his goal of running for mayor, because his ambition is driven out of necessity. His latest challenge came from an individual named James Dean, whom Nix believes was encouraged to challenge him by Mayor Robert Restaino. The Reporter asked Nix how he felt after the court ruled in his favor on Tuesday. “It’s a good feeling!” said Nix, whose petitions were challenged and initially

Demetreus Nix is serious about changing the Niagara Falls political landscape. He’s so serious he’s hired a well-known Buffalo lawyer to help him do it. Libertarian Lawyer Represents Nix James Ostrowski is a trial and appellate lawyer and author who is no stranger to politics. He ran for Governor of New York in 1994 on the Libertarian line, but did not get the nomination, coming in second to media personality Howard Stern. Ostrowski filed a petition with the Supreme Court, Niagara County, on Tuesday, seeking to restore Demetreus Nix and his political ally and city council candidate Uniquia Lewis to

Demetrius Nix, a Niagara Falls mayoral candidate, has been removed from the ballot in the upcoming Democratic party mayoral primary election.

James Abbondanza (D) will seek a seat with the Niagara Falls City Council this election cycle. Abbondanza, who ran in 2021, is a vocal advocate for governmental transparency, financial responsibility, and quality of life issues for the people of Niagara Falls. Abbondanza stated, “The efforts and resources of our local government are being spent in the wrong places. Our needs are straight forward, the residents want a cleaner, safer city. I know it will not happen overnight, it will take a lot of work on a lot of different fronts, but I also know City Hall isn’t even trying to

There is no experience that prepares you better when you are running for political office than going door to door during the campaign season. The campaign trail isn’t meant to be a simple game of math where we figure out the best strategy to gather up enough votes for a victory. That is what the trail has become for too many, and it’s what’s wrong with the politics of today. The campaign trail is meant to be an experience where a public servant, like myself, is tested and challenged through many contacts with voters at their doorsteps, at events, and

Niagara Falls mayoral candidate Demetreus Nix faces challenges beyond politics with burglary charges and business disputes. Can he overcome the obstacles?

Carl Cain There hasn’t been a Republican mayor in Niagara Falls in 20 years, her being the Hon. Irene Elia. The stars are aligning for a repeat of history. If the Democrats split their ticket again this year, which seems likely, given the so-far trio of candidates and the plethora of ballot lines they are competing for, then Carl Cain stands to be the odds-on favorite to prevail come November. What follows is a statement by the candidate, Carl Cain: *********************************************************************************************** Let me just note a few reasons on my aspiration to become mayor of Niagara Falls, N.Y. 1. Making

Demetreus Nix, a man with a troubled past, has once again found himself in hot water thanks to what may be a political vendetta against him.

At 36 years old, Demetreus Nix, a registered Democrat, has decided to run for mayor. His reason is simple. Says Nix, “The resources that we need in District 4 and District 6 are lacking. The money that the mayor wants to use for the Centennial Park project is money that is meant for bettering the quality of life for those at a lower income. It’s easy for the mayor to pass our money because we don’t have a voice, so I’m running to be the voice for those people who have never had one.” Nix is no stranger to

It is official, I, Gaelan Baillie, have decided to run for office. I am seeking a seat on the County Legislature in the 6th district in the city of Niagara Falls. District 6 is a very special place to me. It is where I live, where my wife and I are raising our two beautiful kids, and it is where my small business is located. I have spent most of my adult life developing, creating and operating different business ventures in the city of Niagara Falls. At 24 years old, I started out as a tour guide, working for several

As a guy who had a long and successful career in the private sector, and as someone who believes in term limits, I don’t want to be in government for a very long time. After serving four years on the City Council, one term, where I earned a reputation as a taxpayer watchdog, I was elected to the County Legislature. Today I’m asking you for a second term. I’m proud of my first year representing District 6. I was an early advocate for reducing the gas sales tax, putting money that would have gone to government back in the hands

NIX FOR MAYOR! Make Niagara Falls Great Again! Demetreus Nix wants to make the entire City of Niagara Falls Great. Not just LaSalle and DeVeaux, but Garden Highland and the South End. He filed notice with the Niagara County Board of Elections that he will run for Niagara Falls mayor. Nix said he believes Niagara Falls can be a great place, but he feels the Restaino administration has catered to cronies and achieved little. “Nothing about us without us, because ‘We All We Got’” said the entrepreneur and community activist. “We need to take back our city. We need home

The following is an announcement by former Niagara Falls Councilmember Glenn Choolokian. He is running for mayor. As a Democrat, he will run against Mayor Robert Restaino in the democratic primary. By Glenn Choolokian As a former Niagara Falls business owner, former council member and a lifelong resident of the city of Niagara Falls, I consider myself very fortunate to live and work in our city. I have been dismayed and saddened at the amount of failure from our politicians and their inability to move our city forward. The past four years, we have had a new administration, and things