We don’t need another lawyer (electing an Esquire is unConstitutional as they are considered ‘monarchy’) nor a sour grapes sulker to run our district. We need a person who understands the dire straights western NY business is under and has been for decades. Draconian unfunded mandates and rules and restrictions that make no sense have driven buisness and people from NY in such great numbers, we, for the first time, have LOST two Congressional seats. We need a person with a spine to stand up and end these now!

Written by JILL TERRERI Staff writer http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20120326/NEWS01/303260057/Kathy-Hochul-David-Bellavia-Chris-Collins-Dorollo-Nixon-Jr–

A newly drawn heavily Republican district that includes small towns in Monroe County has attracted three challengers for Rep. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat.

Former Erie County Executive Chris Collins, who co-owns a Henrietta business and whose mother and siblings have lived in Monroe County for decades, is running for the seat.

“We cannot afford four more years of Barack Obama, too much spending and too few jobs,” Collins said Monday.

Collins, 61, lost his re-election bid in November by a margin of 6 percentage points against the then-county comptroller, Democrat Mark Poloncarz. The new congressional district is more favorable to him because it doesn’t include heavily Democratic areas of Erie County, Collins said.

Also running are Iraq War veteran David Bellavia, 36, of Batavia and lawyer Dorollo Nixon, Jr., 33, of Churchville.

[One can only hope Bellavia will not back another 3rd party candidare after his failure to get this nomination. Last special election, he backed the ACORN Family Party supporter turned democrat turned republican who found enough signiyures to get aa line called tea party on the ballot, Jack Davis, a known Progressive who is a big socialist supporter of ACORN and Working Families Party which is an ACORN affiliate started to get ACORN candidated a line on the ballot.]

Collins, a longtime businessman from Clarence who made a career out of buying failing companies and turning them around, co-owns kitchen cabinet manufacturer Bloch Industries in Henrietta, his first acquisition following his 1998 loss for Congress against Rep. John LaFalce. His parents and younger siblings moved to the Rochester area when Collins was a freshman in college.

In Monroe County, the new 27th District includes Hamlin, Wheatland, Rush and Mendon, which make up between 3 percent and 4 percent of the entire district. The district is anchored in Erie County, which makes up about 40 percent of the district.

The district also includes the western half of Ontario County, most of Niagara County, except Niagara Falls, and Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming and Livingston counties.

The district is the most Republican-leaning in the entire state, according to Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper.

Collins appears to be the only candidate circulating petitions to appear on the Conservative Party line, which historically has been important for Republican candidates in New York.

Nixon, who has specialized in international business law and is a former Christian missionary, said he is only passing petitions to appear on the Republican line. Bellavia is also not passing Conservative petitions, according to his campaign spokeswoman, Kathryn DeLong.

Nixon’s residence of Churchville is in the new 25th District, where Rep. Louise Slaughter and Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks are competing. He joined the Riga Republican Committee this month, he said. Residency in the district is not a requirement in a congressional race.

Monroe County Republican Chairman Bill Reilich said he hasn’t endorsed any candidate because “I don’t know the full slate yet.”

Bellavia welcomed Collins to the race in a statement, saying: “I’ve been criticizing Rep. Kathy Hochul on policy for several months and I welcome a new voice to this debate.”

A spokesman said Hochul is “looking forward to a constructive dialogue with Mr. Collins and Mr. Bellavia on the best way to cut spending in Washington, create jobs in western New York, and protect Medicare for seniors.”

Petitions are due to the state Board of Elections on April 16. The congressional primary will be held June 26, and the general election is Nov. 6.