![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/politicalpost.png\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t\tNews and analysis by Geoff Kelly<\/a>, Investigative Post’s political reporter<\/p>\n
Assembly Member Jonathan Rivera\u2019s victory Tuesday in the primary for the 61st District state Senate seat throws Erie County Democrats \u2014 already split over who to support for\u00a0 county executive next year \u2014 further into turmoil.<\/p>\n
With strong backing from organized labor, Rivera walloped Jeremy Zellner, chair of the Erie County Democratic Committee, by nearly 10 percentage points.<\/p>\n
Buffalo attorney Adam Bojak, a democratic socialist also backed by labor unions, scored an even more lopsided victory over Karen Hoak of Hamburg, the party\u2019s endorsed candidate, in a three-way primary to succeed Rivera in the 149th District Assembly seat. Bojak won by more than 16 percent.<\/p>\n
The two victories constitute \u201can earthquake,\u201d Rivera\u2019s father, Niagara District Council Member David Rivera told Investigative Post at the campaigns\u2019 shared watch party on Buffalo\u2019s West Side, as the outcome began to appear inevitable.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_2487.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Jonathan Rivera and Adam Bojak on election night. Photo: Geoff Kelly.<\/p>\n
Several elected and Democratic party officials on election night and the morning after told Investigative Post \u2014 none willing to be quoted by name \u2014 that the loss jeopardizes Zellner\u2019s future at the helm of the party. Some suggested Zellner would be asked not to run for another term as chair when Democratic committee members meet in September to elect new officers.<\/p>\n
Zellner did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n
Fillmore District Council Member Mitch Nowakowski, a party vice chair, said it was important that the party put this bruising primary season behind it and unify in advance of next year\u2019s race for county executive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That race has already opened a fissure between Democratic leaders<\/a>. Zellner and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz \u2014 who will not seek a fifth term \u2014 support Lisa Chimera, Poloncarz\u2019s deputy. Others are backing Erie County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick. Assembly Member Patrick Burke is considering a run, too.<\/p>\n \u201cNext year, we will have an open county executive seat for the first time in 16 years,\u201d Nowakowski said. \u201cIn order to be successful in that race, a large unified Democratic apparatus needs to be solidified and we need to get to work on that now.\u201d<\/p>\n Cheektowaga Town Supervisor Brian Nowak has maintained a detente with Democratic Party leadership, while sometimes bucking its dictates. On election day he campaigned for Bojak, a fellow democratic socialist.<\/p>\n \u201cThings need to be different,\u201d he told Investigative Post Wednesday morning, when asked about Zellner\u2019s future, but declined to elaborate.<\/p>\n Burke, who is facing a tough general election opponent in Republican West Seneca Town Supervisor Gary Dickson, also declined to speculate about Zellner\u2019s future as chair. But he did offer an explanation for the margin of Rivera\u2019s win.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are angry and they feel like they don\u2019t have a voice,\u201d Burke said. \u201cCouple that with the organizing power of labor and last night doesn\u2019t look like much of a surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n On Tuesday night, union officials led the crowd at the Tabernacle, at the corner of Grant and West Ferry streets, in thunderous, celebratory chants.<\/p>\n Rivera declared his candidacy last October. Zellner officially entered the race only after Ryan won, though he and Rivera both had been campaigning behind the scenes for months<\/a>.<\/p>\n Zellner marshaled all his political capital as party chair to win designation as the party\u2019s candidate in February\u2019s special election to fill the seat left vacant by Sean Ryan when he became Buffalo mayor.\u00a0<\/p>\n Zellner out-raised and out-spent Rivera by a huge margin. As of last week, Rivera had spent about $473,000. Zellner had spent more than $1.3 million \u2014 a figure that includes $753,000 he spent to beat his Republican opponent, Dan Gagliardo, in the special election.\u00a0<\/p>\n In all, the candidates spent $2 million<\/a> in pursuit of the seat. About 60 percent of\u00a0 that money \u2014 $1.2 million \u2014 was public matching funds, for which both candidates qualified. On election day Rivera \u2014 who walked away from a safe Assembly seat to challenge Zellner \u2014 told Investigative Post his campaign would not have been possible without the public match.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would have been very difficult to raise money without it, going against the county chair,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Zellner had the endorsement of 40 elected officials, from Gov. Kathy Hochul and Poloncarz on down to town board members. He narrowly led in the absentee and early vote, but Rivera began to pull ahead soon after election day votes began to be added to the tally.\u00a0<\/p>\n By the time half the returns had been counted, Rivera was in the lead for good. He won handily on Buffalo\u2019s West Side, his home base. He edged out Zellner in the Town of Tonawanda. Zellner won in Grand Island, Amherst and the City of Tonawanda, where he lives.<\/p>\n Turnout was low. Less than 20 percent of the district\u2019s Democrats voted.<\/p>\n There is no Republican or Conservative Party candidate in the race, which means Rivera\u2019s election in November is essentially guaranteed. Zellner will serve as senator until the end of the year.<\/p>\n Adam Bojak. Photo: Geoff Kelly.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a flood of online gambling money was not enough to help Karen Hoak, the endorsed Democrat in the 149th Assembly District race.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_2474.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IP_Event_Benefit_26_B.png\"\/)
<\/a><\/p>\n