By Rick Miller
GREAT VALLEY – After earlier deciding against another campaign for the Assembly, the Great Valley Democrat agreed to run in the November election against Joe Sempolinski of Steuben County.
Brown ran against Assemblyman Joseph Giglio, R-Gowanda in 2012. He also ran unsuccessfully against State Sen. George Borrello two years ago.
Giglio announced on Feb. 16, that he would not seek re-election this year.
Sempolinski, of Canestio, who served in Congress for several months after Rep. Tom Reed resigned two years ago and served as Giglio’s chief of staff, announced that he would seek the Republican nomination the following day.
Brown, a farmer who raises beef cattle and grows field crops and a contractor, has been supervisor of Great Valley for 19 years.
“I’m throwing my hat in the ring, but I don’t want to participate in the state’s new taxpayer-financed campaign financing,” Brown said in an interview on Wednesday. “It troubled me from the beginning.” He said while the new campaign finance law matching small donor contributions would have helped level the playing field in this district, he had concerns.
The timing of Giglio’s announcement that he would not seek another term in the Assembly, coupled with Sempolinski’s announcement left only two days to qualify for the matching campaign funds, Brown said.
“I was very apprehensive about taxpayers being involved in campaign financing,” Brown said. “This was very well planned.”
Sempolinski is actively seeking small donor contributions that can be matched under the new campaign finance law.
“I’m a lifelong resident of Cattaraugus County,” Brown said. The Assembly seat has always been held by a Cattaraugus County resident. Brown said he considers the 148th Assembly seat to be a Cattaraugus County seat and is running to keep it that way.
“I hate politics,” Brown said. “I don’t believe in fighting. I believe in working together for things like roads, infrastructure and jobs.” Brown said he has always worked in a bipartisan manner with the Great Valley Town Board.
There are 150 seats in the Assembly, with Republicans occupying 48 seats, or just under one-third, Brown pointed out.
“I’m tired of hearing from candidates that they are going up there (Albany) to fight,” Brown said. “I’m offering the chance to vote for someone who grew up in this area, who lives in this area and will be in the majority. I’m tired of all our state elected officials being represented by the minority party.”
The last Democrat to represent Cattaraugus County in the Assembly was Daniel B. Walsh, an Olean native who represented Franklinville in the Cattaraugus County Legislature before being elected to the Assembly in 1972. He served until 1987, including eight years as majority leader. County otters hadn’t elected a Democrat to the Assembly in over 100 years before Waslh was elected.
“Our previous Republican representatives said they can’t do anything because they are in the minority in Albany,” Brown said. “I’ll carry our concerns and wishes to the majority side in the Assembly.”
Brown said he has heard the concerns people have with the state’s new bail reform law, which seeks to keep non-violent offenders out of jail while they wait for a court appearance. Many people who are arrested won’t get the help they need with mental health or drug problems if they are not jailed, Brown added.
Brown said he is “not a fan of wind power.” The state, he said, has tried to force these tall wind turbines on communities and deny municipal home rule. Solar installations often swallow up productive farmland, he added. Both need backup power. He noted the Town of Great Valley has agreed to lease its former gravel pit to a solar developer, who paid to restore the gravel pit, saving the town a lot of money.
“I love this area,” Brown said. “It always drives me nuts that people leave because there are not enough opportunities here. It goes back to being in the minority in the Senate and Assembly.”
Brown, 58, and his wife, Marcey have two daughters in grades seven and 10, and he has grown a step-daughter and a step-son.
Dan Brown, the Great Valley supervisor, will run for the 148th Assembly seat currently held by Assemblyman Joseph Giglio, R-Gowanda, who is not seeking re-election. Brown will face Giflio’s chief of staff, Joe Sempolinski of Steuben County.
