BUFFALO, NY — With less than three weeks until Election Day, the Association of New York State Young Republican Clubs (NYSYR) announced the launch of a new ad campaign targeting Democrat Mark Poloncarz, the incumbent Erie County Executive who has become mired in a series of scandals and generally low favorability among Erie County voters. An independent poll conducted in August placed Poloncarz and his Republican opponent, Young Republican Chrissy Casilio, neck and neck, with 17% of voters undecided.
As part of the ad campaign, NYSYR will encourage voters, especially those who remain undecided, to visit www.FireMarkPoloncarz.com to educate themselves about Mark Poloncarz’s disastrous record as County Executive, including:
- Poloncarz botches blizzard response; 40 perish: In December 2022, Poloncarz engaged in a bitter and petty war with Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown (Poloncarz supported Brown’s opponent, socialist India Walton in the 2021 mayoral election), botching the county’s response to a deadly blizzard that killed 40 Buffalonians.
- Poloncarz prioritizes sanctuary city rhetoric over public safety: In August, Poloncarz ignored community concerns and blindly facilitated the warehousing of unvetted illegal migrants from South America in residential parts of Erie County; one of those migrants was charged with raping a woman — in the presence of a 3-year old child.
- Poloncarz improperly awards grant to his girlfriend’s organization: In August, Poloncarz was investigated by the County Comptroller’s office for misappropriating $60,000 in taxpayer money to the Italian Cultural Center of Buffalo, which his girlfriend administers.
The same woman at the center of the scandal involving misappropriated funds also filed a police report against Poloncarz in August, alleging that he grabbed her and retrained her against a window during a dispute.
The video ad can be viewed in full on YouTube at youtu.be/ExOvbimTwRU. NYSYR intends to run the ad across multiple mediums, including social media, streaming services, and television.
“As he desperately seeks a fourth term for county executive, Mark Poloncarz is proving to be out-of-touch and out-of-control,” said NYSYR Chairman Peter Giunta. “Scandal after scandal shows that Mark Poloncarz is incapable of managing Erie County, allowing his personal drama to influence decision-making while costing taxpayers millions, jeopardizing public safety, and even resulting in unnecessary loss of life. Mark Poloncarz doesn’t deserve another term — he deserves to be fired!”
Giunta continued: “I encourage Erie County voters to visit www.FireMarkPoloncarz.com and do their own research to make an informed decision, then vote early from October 28th to November 5th or vote on Election Day, November 7th, to fire Mark Poloncarz.”