By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
LITTLE VALLEY — Acting Cattaraugus County Sheriff Eric Butler was elected to a four-year term Tuesday, defeating Democratic challenger Denny “D.J.” Whitmore.
Butler, the former undersheriff who became acting sheriff with the retirement of Sheriff Timothy S. Whitcomb at the end of July, had 72.9% of the unofficial count by the Cattaraugus County Board of Elections to 27% for Whitmore, a retired U.S. Prisons officials.
The vote was 23,235 for Butler — 20,472 Republicans and 2,763 Conservatives to 8,605 for Whitmore on the Democratic line.
Butler had a greater percentage of the vote than former President Donald Trump had in the county, who had 66.3% of the vote to 32.9% for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump had a total of 21,936 voted to 10,914 for Harris. Harris won New York state, but Trump was declared the winner with 51.9% to 47.2%. There are 276 Electoral College electors for Trump to 223 for Harris.
Butler did not issue a statement on Election Night and could not be reached Wednesday morning. He was endorsed by former Sheriff Whitcomb as well as a number of police departments across the county.
IN OTHER CONTESTS:
U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-Niagara County, coasted to a second term victory over Democrat Tom Carle of Dunkirk by a nearly 2-1 margin.
Langworthy’s total across the eight-county 23rd Congressional District was 239,037, or 62.5% to 122,041 for Carle, or 31.9%.
In Cattaraugus County, Langworthy, the former New York Republican chairman, beat Carle 22,961, or 68.9% to 8,507, or 25.5% for Carle. Allegany County voters cast 13,511 votes for Langworthy, or 73.1% to 4,144, or 22.4% for Carle.
In the 148th Assembly District race, former U.S. Rep. Joe Sempolinski, R-Canisteo, rolled over Democrat Dan Brown, the Great Valley supervisor, 36,613, or 66.3% to 14,839, or 26.9% in Cattaraugus, Allegany counties and part of Steuben County. Sempolinski will succeed Assemblyman Joseph Giglio, R-Gowanda, who has served in the post for 19 years.
Sempolinski’s Cattaraugus County total was 20,958, or 62.9% to 9,910, or 29.7% for Brown. In Allegany County, Semploinski won 70.2% to 23.6%. The Steuben County margin was 78.4% for Sempolinski to 16.3% for Brown.
Cattaraugus County voters also favored Michael Sapraicone, the Republican candidate who challenged U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand 63.1% to 36.4%.
State Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, was unopposed in his re-election bid. He posted 25,859 votes.
Cattaraugus County Treasurer Matthew Keller was also unopposed. He posted 25,476 votes.
County Coroner Bradley Spink was re-elected without opposition. He posted 26.074 votes.
In Olean, three members of the Common Council, J.R. Bennion, R-Ward 1; Jennifer Forney, R-Ward 3 and Council President John Crawford, D-Ward 5, were all re-elected without opposition.
In Salamanca, the entire Common Council and Mayor Sandra Magiera were elected without opposition.
In the only town contest in the county, Farmersville Justice Jennifer Holmes-Karcher, running on the Democrat and Republican lines, was re-elected over challenger Melanie Louise Brown 376-148.
Voters in Hinsdale narrowly approved a proposition increasing the terms of office for town officials from two years to four by 456-424.
And in Napoli, voters turned down a similar proposition for four-year terms for town officers 249-213.
County voters turned down state Proposition No. 1 by a vote of 18,516 to 12,322 or 60% to 39.9%. It passed statewide by 56.6% to 34.8%.
