Austin Harig, the young candidate who nearly ousted Buffalo developer Carl Paladino from office at the ballot box — despite being underfunded and receiving no support from establishment organizations — is considering another run for the Board of Education’s Park District seat. But he won’t be making a decision until after the holidays.
Harig is a popular young political figure among the progressive left, and many observers are anticipating his entry into the race. The seat is currently held by Lou Petrucci. Both Harig and Petrucci are seen as being generally supportive of the Buffalo Teachers’ Federation. Petrucci held the seat prior to Paladino’s initial election and was appointed by the Board to fill the seat’s abrupt vacancy earlier this year.
Both Petrucci and Paladino are seen as potential candidates for the County Legislature’s District 7 seat recently vacated by Assemblyman-elect Patrick Burke. That could clear Harig’s path to the school board.
Leave a Reply