By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
OLEAN — Amy Sherburne trounced Olean Mayor Bill Aiello in the Republican primary for mayor on Tuesday.
Unofficial primary night voting totals from the Cattaraugus County Board of Elections showed Sherburne beating Aiello 307-217 or 58.3% to 41.2%. That includes early voting and mail-in ballots received so far.
Her margin of victory in Primary Day voting in Olean’s seven wards was 233 to 164, not including early voting and mail-in ballots.
In an interview with the Olean Star soon after the polls closed, Sherburne said she was relieved the primary where she ran against the incumbent Aiello, was over.
“It’s a good indication of what is to come,” Sherburne smiled. “People wanted a change.”
With her Republican primary win, Sherburne, who was endorsed by Democrats will be on three lines on the November ballot to one line for Aiello.
Besides the Republican and Democratic lines, Sherburne will be listed on the independent Common Sense party line, while Aiello will be on the independent Lincoln Party line.
There were 135 ballots cast in early voting at the Jamestown Community College campus in Olean, which is historically low.
Aiello won only one of Olean’s seven wards in Primary Day voting, Ward 4, where he beat Sherburne 18-10.
Results in the other wards told a different story, however. In Ward 1, Sherburne beat Aiello 45-37. In Ward 2, she beat him 54-32. In Ward 5, she beat him 20-9. In Ward 6 she beat him 18-8 and in Ward 7, she beat him 41-23.
“People told me they were happy I was running,” Sherburne said. “They want someone who is capable, who will watch what’s going on in the city and who is transparent.”
Her Republican primary win “shows the climate in the city — how determined they are wanting change.”
One big change that is needed are new sources of revenue besides the property tax, Sherburne said. She ran on that mantra.
“I just want to thank everyone for being so supportive,” Sherburne said. “I’m not a career politician, but I learned a lot about the city so far.”
“It is what it is,” Aiello said of the GOP primary loss in a brief statement to the Olean Star. “It looked like a very low turnout. It’s an uphill battle from here. I’m committed to running on the Lincoln Party line.”
Aiello said, “I put it out there. That’s the chance you take in a primary. She got the most votes. I’m moving on with the Lincoln Party.”
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All Rights Reserved. Eric M. Firkel. Star News LLC.
