Hillary Clinton (left) and Donald Trump

ALBANY – Donald Trump is surging in the New York Republican presidential primary matchup, six weeks ahead of the April 19 primary.

According to a poll from Siena College released Monday, Trump is pulling in 45 percent of the vote among Republicans. The next closest candidates are Marco Rubio and John Kasich, whose own surge has propelled him to 18 percent of the vote from 4 percent last month.

Yet for all of Trump’s success in the primary matchup, his favorable-unfavorable numbers among all voters are at 29-67. Kasich, meanwhile, has a positive 41-29 favorable-unfavorable rating.

Upstate, Trump is viewed unfavorably by 65 percent of residents regardless of party. And yet, he still wins the four-man Republican matchup with 44 percent of the upstate vote.

On the Democratic side, the numbers for Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders didn’t budge from February. Clinton leads 55-34 among Democrats. The poll also found that Clinton continues to win all head-to-head Democrat-Republican matchups for New York State. Sanders also wins against the four Republicans.

The Siena poll was conducted in the midst of Super Tuesday last week, during which Trump won seven of 11 states in play. On Super Saturday last weekend, Trump won two of four states in play.

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo

ALBANY – New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo easily defeated upstart liberal challenger Zephyr Teachout in Tuesday’s Democratic gubernatorial primary. The victory by the incumbent governor sets up a November race against Rob Astorino, the Republican candidate and current executive of Westchester County.

Cuomo had over 60 percent of the votes and Teachout, a Fordham University law professor, had just over 34 percent. Drug law activist Randy Credico came in third.

Teachout was largely unknown to voters, but her presence on the ballot nonetheless served as a liberal rebuke to the popular incumbent, and highlighted his sometimes uneasy relationship with his party’s base.

In Chautauqua County, Cuomo received more than 65 percent of the vote while Teachout received just over 26 percent.

Cuomo’s running mate, former Buffalo congresswoman Kathy Hochul, also won Tuesday, beating Columbia University law professor Tim Wu.

The four candidates for Chautauqua County Family Court Judge in the 2014 General Election will be (from left to right): Sally Jaroszynski (Democrat), Jeffrey Piazza (Republican, Conservative and Independence), James Spann Jr. (Working Families), and Michael Sullivan (Green Party).

JAMESTOWN – It appears that all four candidates for the recently created second Chautauqua County Family Court judge position will have their names on the ballot for the 2014 General Election.

Primary day 2014 saw contested races for six parties in the race for county court judge and each of the four candidates won at least one of the races.

In the Democratic Primary, Falconer’s Sally Jaroszynski defeated Westfield’s James J. Spann Jr. Jaroszynski had a strong showing, picking up over 60 percent of the vote.

In the Republican primary, Jamestown’s Jeffrey Piazza defeated Fredonia’s Michael Sullivan.  In that race, Piazza received 60 percent of the vote.

Piazza also won the Conservative and Independence Party lines. Meanwhile, Spann walked away from Primary Day with the Working Families Party endorsement while Sullivan will run on the Green Party line.

In the other local primary race, involving a special election for the Chautauqua County Legislature’s District 12 seat, Elisabeth Rankin won the Independence Party line vote in the narrowest of margins. Rankin picked up 19 votes while her opponent, current legislator Beth Kresge, picked up 18 votes. Rankin will also run on the Republican line while Kresge will serve have the Democratic and Working Familes endorsements.

Election day will take place on Nov. 4. For a complete list of all candidates appearing on Chautauqua County ballots for this year’s elections, visit voteChautauqua.com.

Tuesday is Primary Day in Chautauqua County and across new York state with several key election on today’s ballot. For local voters, both major parties as well as major third parties will all have contested races.

Highlighting this year’s primary across the state is the race for governor and lieutenant governor for the Democratic Party, with three candidates on the ballot for governor and two candidates on the ballot for lt. governor.

In the governor’s race, incumbent Andrew Cuomo (Kisco, NY) will facing upstart challenger Zephyr Teachout (Brooklyn, NY) and fellow challenger Randy Credico (New York, NY).

In the Democratic Primary race for Lt. Governor, Kathy Hochul of Erie County has been tapped to be governor’s Cuomo’s running mate, replacing current lt. Gov. Robert Duffy of Rochester, who announced earlier this year he would not be seeking a second term as lt. governor Hochul is running against fellow democrat and Teachout running mate Timothy Wu.

In addition to the democratic primary for governor, there will also be six party primaries in the newly created office for a second Chautauqua County Family Court Judge. A total of four candidates will have their names on the ballot, with all of them vying for at least one of the six party endorsement.

In the Democratic Party primary for that office, Falconer attorney Sally Jaroszynski, who is currently Ellicott Town Justice, will be facing Westfield attorney James Spann Jr. – who currently serves as the Westfield town justice.

For the Republican Party, Jamestown attorney Jeffry Piazza will be running against Fredonia Mayor and attorney Michael Sullivan.

In addition, Piazza, Sullivan and Spann will be competing for the endorsement of the Conservative Party.

Both Spann and Sullivan are candidates for the Working Families Party.

For the Independence Party, Piazza, Spann and Sullivan are all running for endorsement.

And for the Green Party, Spann and Sullivan are running for endorsement.

There is also a primary for Jamestown residents who live in district 12 for the Chautauqua County Legislature. Democrat and current legislator Beth Kresge, who was only appointed to the seat earlier this year, will be facing Jamestown Republican Elisabeth Rankin in the November general election. However, both candidates are also vying for the Independence Party endorsement on primary day – meaning any registered members of the independence party that live in District 12 will have the opportunity to vote for one of the two.

Primary Day in Chautauqua County will have voting from noon to 9 p.m. at all polling locations. Voters can find their personal voter information at www.votechautauqua.com.

Polling will be at the same location as regular voting sites, although the County Board of Elections says that poll sites for all voters in the village of Fredonia, Charlotte and three election districts on the east side of Jamestown have been changed for 2012. 

In Jamestown Ward 1 Districts 2, 3 & 4 will now be voting at the IBEW Local 106 Hall at 322 James Ave. – across from the JCC Parking lot. Also, Charlotte voters will now be voting at the Sinclairville Fire Station and Fredonia village voters will now be voting at Wheelock School.

The four Republican Candidates vying for voters endorsements are front-runner Mitt Romney, former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, former house speaker Newt Gingrich, and Texas Congressman Ron Paul. No other political parties have contested primary elections and New York State has a closed primary system, which limits Tuesday’s voting to Republicans.

Voters can determine their current affiliation or registration status and find primary night results by visiting www.votechautauqua.com. Voters may also contact the Board of Elections directly by calling 753-4580, 363-4580 or 661-7580.

BUSTI – The Lakewood-Busti police department is calling it an unfortunate incident. A Jamestown man killed himself Wednesday night in the Town of Busti shortly after an officer saw his car on the side of the road and stopped to offer him assistance.

Police say the incident took place on Forest Avenue Extension near Garfield Rd. As the officer stopped to help the driver of the car, the driver became visibly upset. The officer then pulled his vehicle behind the car to run a check on the license plate when the drive of the car got out and walked toward the police vehicle holding a shotgun. After the officer took evasive action, the man turned around, walked back to the front of his own vehicle, and shot himself.

No one else was hurt in the incident and other local police agencies provided assistance at the scene. Neither the name of the victim or the officer is will be released.

NEW STATE TEACHER EVALUATION POLICY TO TAKE EFFECT NEXT SCHOOL YEAR

ALBANY – Every teacher in the state soon will be evaluated under a more rigorous system – designed to more closely link teacher ratings to student growth on assessments and to reliable classroom observations. The new state requirements for teacher evaluations, announced Thursday, are intended to more accurately evaluate teachers, provide support for those deemed ineffective and hold up those considered effective as role models. A teacher rated ineffective two years in a row could face termination proceedings.

The governor, state education commissioner and president of New York State United Teachers announced the agreement, which applies to all teachers in the state as of the 2012-13 school year.

During a news conference in Albany, the three men said the agreement would position New York as a leader among other states in the federally driven effort to tie teacher evaluations to student achievement.

WHITNEY CALLS EDWARDS TO SHOW HE’S TRIED TO SAVE TO COUNTY HOME

MAYVILLE – A member of the Chautauqua County Legislature is publicly calling on the county executive to show that he’s done everything possible to make the county home in Dunkirk more sustainable. Assistant Minority Leader Bob Whitney attended the newly created Chautauqua County Home Ad Hoc Committee meeting last night, serving as the Democratic leadership’s representative on this committee created by Legislature Chairman Jay Gould and charged with recommending the fate of the Chautauqua County Home.

In a press release, Whitney said that County Executive Greg Edwards is calling the home a liability and asking the County Legislature to consider selling it. Whitney claims the home is only a liability if county lawmakers have done everything possible to make it more financially sustainable to no avail.  He said he’s calling on the County Executive to provide a record on what he’s done so far to save the Home.

The County Home subcommittee met at 7pm last night in Mayville. Monthly meetings on the third Thursday of each month at 7pm will follow.

ASSEMBLY CONSIDERS LEGISLATION TO ALIGN STATE AND FEDERAL PRIMARY DATES

ABLANY – Legislation has been introduced in the state Assembly that would align state and federal primary dates, setting both on June 26, almost three months earlier than the typical date. The bill is sponsored by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, and Assembly Election Law Chair Michael Cusick, D-Staten Island.

A federal judge had already ruled that national primaries be held on that day in order to comply with the federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, which was enacted to ensure absentee ballots would be counted in elections. Silver and Cusick believe that moving state primaries to coincide with federal primaries will save local municipalities money.

The new legislation will be discussed during the Election Law Committee meeting held this Wednesday in room 715 of the Legislative Office Building in Albany.

‘SOUP AND A SONG’ FUNDRAISER IS TONIGHT

JAMESTOWN  – Jamestown’s St. Susan Center will continue the monthly ”Soup and a Song” series of programs combining concerts by popular local musical groups with an ”open-mic” Starting at 6 p.m. tonight, For the modest admission price of $10, attendees will be treated to an evening of fine live musical entertainment and a meal consisting of hearty soup, several varieties of breads, crackers, desserts, coffee, tea and hot chocolate.

Proceeds from the Soup and a Song series will benefit St. Susan Center, Jamestown’s
soup kitchen. Logistical support for the Soup and a Song program is being provided by Trinity Guitars.

The Soup and a Song events will be held at St. Susan Center’s facility at Gateway Center, at 31 Water St. The public will be admitted beginning at 6 p.m., with the open-mic segment of the programs beginning at 6:30. Featured entertainers – provided by the bluegrass band Wind River – will begin playing at 7:40 p.m., and the events will conclude at 9 p.m.