State Assemblywoman Francine Del Monte's worst nightmare came true this week as Niagara Falls High School basketball coach Dan Bazzani announced his intention to run for the 138th District Assembly seat on the Republican line in November.
Del Monte already had troubles enough. Gary Parenti, her charismatic and well-funded challenger in the Democratic Primary, has at least a 50-50 chance of unseating her in September. That race will be costly and bruising, and Parenti is all but guaranteed to win the wild-card Independence Party line, which would set up a three-way race with Bazzani and Del Monte in the general election.
Much the same scenario played itself out when Del Monte faced Republican Rob Daly and county Legislator Renae Kimble when she first sought the seat in 1998. After a tough primary, Kimble stayed in the race on a minor party line and siphoned off enough Democratic votes to ensure a Daly victory.
Bazzani is beloved in Niagara Falls for his engineering of two NFHS state basketball championships over the past couple years. More importantly, he runs a clean program, and his players also do well academically and out in the world.
Parenti, who excelled in sports at Niagara Wheatfield, has the backing of former state Sen. Anthony Nanula and Rochester billionaire Tom Golisano, and has put together a top-notch campaign team to help in his grassroots campaign.
Del Monte, meanwhile, has the casino-cash fiasco and Robert Moses Parkway debacle to show for her stewardship of the district's interests, with much of her campaign financing coming from Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's state Democratic machine and Albany lobbyists.
Her close relationship with Niagara Falls Mayor Vince Anello -- who is at the center of a U.S. Department of Justice probe into official corruption at City Hall -- is another dark cloud looming on her horizon as we head into the election season.
We've made no secret of the fact we don't believe Del Monte deserves to be returned to Albany this year. The good news is that, in Bazzani and Parenti, we have a couple of fine candidates ready to take her place.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | May 23 2006 |