By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
LITTLE VALLEY — With two major countywide offices on the November ballot in Cattaraugus County, Republicans appear to have candidates, while Democrats have yet to announce any names.
A county court judge and county clerk will top local races this fall.
County Court Judge Moses Mark Howden is retiring this year, having reached the mandatory age of 70. Howden served as county attorney before his election to the bench in November 2016. He was unopposed for the open seat that was vacated by former County Court Judge Michael Nenno upon his retirement.
Public Defender Darryl Bloom will get the Republican Party endorsement for the open judgeship. Bloom has served as public defender since February 2018 and was reappointed last year to a third four-year term that started in January.
Bloom is expected to file nominating petitions for the Republican and Conservative parties.
County Clerk Darrell Klute will seek re-election to a second four-year term. He will run again on the Republican and Conservative party lines.
Klute was elected to the clerk’s office in November 2022. He was serving at the time as acting clerk after the retirement of former clerk Alan Bernstein earlier in 2022. Bernstein ran as a Democrat in his first election for county clerk and as a Republican in 2015. Klute was deputy clerk under Bernstein from 2016 to 2022.
The term of Coroner Cleon Easton III expires this year and he is expected to seek re-election to the post on the Republican and Conservative lines.
Cattaraugus County Democratic Party Chairman Mandy Bushnell said party officials were in talks with possible candidates, but declined to identify them due to confidentiality.
Democrats plan to meet Feb. 22 to make endorsements including Congress and state Senate, Bushnell said.
Parties and individuals may start circulating nominating petitions on Feb. 24. Those petitions must be filed between March 30 and April 6, and will determine if any party primaries are to be held June 23.
Republicans hold an edge of more than 8,000 voters over active enrolled Democrats in the county. There are a total of 48,308 active voters.
The latest voter enrollment in November 2025 shows 20,718 enrolled Republicans, 12,168 Democrats, 1,260 Conservatives, 249 Working Families enrollees and 12,026 who are unaffiliated with any political party.
