State Senator Jeremy Zellner won’t run for re-election for his Albany seat this November, but he intends to seek re-election as Erie County Democratic Committee Chairman.
“My term in the Senate goes through January, and we're still serving in the Senate till then, and I'll be serving as Chair through this fall, where I'm seeking reelection,” he said following an appearance in Tonawanda late Wednesday morning.
Zellner spoke a little more than a week after his defeat to Assemblymember Jonathan Rivera in a Democratic primary for the 61st Senate District. In February, he won a special election to complete the term originally won by Sean Ryan. The latter resigned from the seat upon his election as Buffalo mayor. Zellner was hoping to run for a full term in November.
“I needed a little bit of a break after Tuesday night, so I just, you know, crashed on Wednesday and got some rest and spent some time with my family,” he said about the days following his June 23 loss. “I've had hundreds and hundreds of people reach out and call and text me with support. I'm running for reelection as chair this November.”
Having confirmed his intention, Zellner said the priority now is helping Democratic candidates win critical races, beginning with Governor Kathy Hochul and continuing with local races for Assembly, Senate, and Erie County Legislature seats.
Another challenge he faces is keeping a party united, a party with a wide spectrum of members who range from conservative to moderate to progressive. He recalled the bitter divisions among Erie County Democrats under past leaders, and says the party and its members do not want a repeat of that history.
“I don't think anybody wants that anymore,” Zellner said. “We're facing a threat from Washington that I don't think anyone's ever seen. We have a threat to our democracy. We have a threat to our very existence. We've got cuts and attacks coming to our state that we've tried to push back at the state level, to our health care system and to our food subsidy system, where those that need it the most have had $45 million in food subsidies torn away from them. That's what we should be working on fighting against and unifying all of us. And I think we're there.”
But what if the party shifts further left?
“It's not under my control of where we go as a party. We have more than 1,000 rank and file committee members who are elected every two years, who choose the chair of the party and choose their leadership. That's who it's up to,” he answered. “And it's up to those 100 executive committee members of who we endorse for what elections, when they happen as well. We find the best candidates, and we've supported folks from conservative Democrats to progressive Democrats.”
