Common Council Member David Franczyk is widely expected to retire at the end of his current term, forgoing a re-election effort for the Fillmore District seat that he’s held for the last 32 years. In his most recent re-election effort, Franczyk could muster fewer than 600 votes — an embarrassing showing for an incumbent of 28 years.
Many saw it as a damning indictment of his tenure, during which the City saw the implosion of his Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood — once a proud ethnic Polish community. That community has largely abandoned the City in droves for greener pastures in Cheektowaga and Lancaster.
The possibility for new leadership in this tired, deeply downtrodden district has inspired excitement in next September’s Democratic Party primary — with the names of several prominent Democrats being floated in political circles.
Tina Sanders, the anti-violence activist, is expected to be a leading contender. Former City Housing Commissioner Joe Masica is rumored to also be considering the race, as is Council Staffer Mike Kuzma.
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