Published: November 05, 2009 03:43 pm      

GOP sweeps Legislature

Smith, Callard, Allport win seats

Cheers filled the room of the Republican headquarters in Albion on Tuesday night as election results were read for the three contested Orleans County Legislature seats. Incumbents Henry Smith and David Callard, along with Donald Allport, came out victorious in the election.

Smith and Democrat Thom Jennings were both battling once more for the District 3 legislator seat. Smith won with 741 votes to 559.

“I’m definitely excited,” Smith said. “We’ll have an opportunity to continue doing what we’re doing for Orleans County. I’m just happy the voters gave me this opportunity, again.

Smith congratulated his opponent for a race well run and wished him the best in his future endeavors. He also thanked all the people that supported his campaign, especially his wife, who was his campaign manager.

“Congratulations to all the Republican winners,” he said. “I look forward to working with everyone in the future.”

In 2007, Smith and Jennings first competed for the same seat, which covers the towns of Albion and Gaines. This is Smith’s forth term.

“I want to say how proud I am to be a Democrat,” said Jennings. “In the next two years, Orleans County will pay for having an all-Republican

Legislature. I guarantee that they will be begging for the Democrats to come back and save them.

“It sucks to lose,” he continued. “I lost two years ago, but I walk out of here tonight a lot prouder. ... In the end, they beat us in a game. They didn’t play dirty, they played smart.”

He later added, humorously, “We did a lot better than the Buffalo Bills.”

For the legislator at-large West seat, Callard beat Democrat William Jurinich by 3,267 to 1,364. Working Party candidate Harold W. Suhr received 277 votes.

“I think it’s terrific,” Callard said. “It was difficult to say if it would be a heavier turnout or a lower turnout. But it appears it was a complete repudiation of the Democratic line this go-around.”

Callard said he thinks that one of the problems the Democratic Party had this election was the lack of a clear message.

“I’m delighted,” he added. “We’ve had two years of a balanced budget with no tax increase and it looks like we’re going into a third year of the same. We’ve been managing fiscal policy very conservatively and are holding up well.”

As for first-time candidate Jurinich, you haven’t seen the last of him.

“I learned a lot,” Jurinich said. “It will be different in two years. ... I’ve been to the meetings and seen what Gary (Kent) has had to put up with. It’s gonna hurt everyone in the county. I will be back.”

In the biggest upset of the evening, Democrat incumbent Gary Kent — who is the only Democrat candidate on the current Legislature — was voted off to Allport for the legislator at-large Central seat. Allport received 3,033 votes to Kent’s 2,318. The back-and-forth race first began in 2007, when Kent beat then-incumbent Allport by a 2 percent margin. Kent was also the legislator in 2004-05.

“It’s like going back home,” Allport said of returning to the board. “I’m happy.”

Kent was busy Tuesday night considering the numbers. He explained that in 2007, he received 3,461 votes, and his Republican challenger got 3,356. This year, however, Kent received more than 1,000 fewer votes, while the Republican line received 250 fewer votes.

“Maybe my people didn’t come out because they thought it was an easy win,” he pondered.

Though for the Democrats the results were devastating, the party is still proud of the race they ran.

“I am so proud of our candidates,” said county Democratic Committee Chairwoman Jeanne Crane in a written statement. “We ran a clean and ethical campaign. We tried very hard and have nothing to be ashamed about. I want to thank all who helped in any way, and thank the voters for their support and confidence.”

She later said she was surprised by the results. “I thought we had such a good machine this year,” she said.

Contact reporter Rikki Cason at 798-1400, ext. 8227.