By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
OLEAN — Amy Sherburne won a landslide victory over Mayor Bill Aiello Tuesday, winning by a nearly three-to-one margin.
The unofficial vote tally from the Cattaraugus County Board of Elections showed Sherburne winning 1,981 to 693, with a limited number of absentee votes due to be counted next week.
Sherburne won every ward. The closest margin was in Ward 4, where Sherburne won by only 80 votes, 128-48.
Ward 2 was the first to report in to Sherburne, who was in her headquarters on North Union Street with supporters.
When her daughter Grace posted the results — 263 to 96 — the whole room cheered. It would be like that for the next six wards.
An Olean businesswoman, Sherburne had defeated Aiello in the Republican primary in June and was endorsed by city Democrats. With Sherburne both major party lines to Aiello’s independent Lincoln Party line, it was an uphill battle for the three-term mayor.
Sherburne, who will take office Jan. 1, thanked volunteers and supporters. She particularly thanked her husband, Bob, and Jennifer Fairbanks Black, who helped direct her campaign.
“Oh my God,” she exclaimed each time another ward reported their vote totals. “It’s a wonderful feeling,” she said afterwards.
The key to the election was “going out in the neighborhoods and talking to people,” Sherburne said.
In comments to the Olean Star, Sherburne said, “The numbers are incredible. The citizens of Olean have spoken. I appreciate their faith in me. I‘m going to work hard.”
“I’m not a career politician by any stretch of the imagination,” Sherburne said. “We need change. We need a direction we can be hopeful of for the city.”
The mayor-elect said she “learned so much about the city” from campaigning door-to-door and listening to people. There are challenges ahead, she added.
Having attended Olean Common Council meetings for the past eight months, she said she has heard what the issues are.
Cattaraugus County Republican Party Chairman Mark Heberling congratulated Sherburne, noting she will be the first Republican woman mayor of Olean. Democrat Linda Witte, who served as mayor from 2010 to 2013, was the first woman to serve as Olean mayor.
“People have a shelf life,” said Heberling, reflecting on Aiello’s loss. “The voters spoke loudly,” he added. Sherburne will approach the mayor’s office just as she has as a longtime Olean businesswoman, Heberling said.
“The odds were against me,” Aiello said in an interview with the Olean Star at Union Whiskey, where the mayor had gathered with his wife Patricia and family members to count the votes as they came in shortly after 9 p.m.
“I have nothing to be ashamed of after 12 good years with the city,” Aiello said. “I wish Amy well. I hope she can fulfill those promises for the City of Olean.”
Aiello said, “I put my heart and soul into this city for many years. I have no regrets. I’ll let the record speak for itself.”
