Joe Sempolinski

Representative Joe Sempolinski is looking back at the highlights of his four-month tenure in Congress.

Sempolinski has represented the 23rd Congressional District following a special election in August. He replaced Tom Reed who had resigned.

He said passing the 21st Century Assistive Technology Act was his proudest accomplishment, “This law is going to have a profound effect on those with disabilities. It’s going to make a difference in their lives. And helping Americans with disabilities is the cornerstone of my time in office.”

He said he also was proud of helping nearly 300 constituent calls from the district.

One item that Sempolinski supported that did not get completed was the passage of the “Words Matter Act” to replace the “r” word in the U.S. Code with more respectful terminology to identify those with developmental disabilities.

He said he has spoken with House members who are returning next term about getting that bill reintroduced, including incoming Representative Nick Langworthy, “Talking about bipartisanship, on that bill you have Conservative Republicans, you have Liberal Democrats, and that is some place again where you’re dealing with community, in this case, the developmentally disabled, that people of all ideological descriptions want to be part of supporting.”

Sempolinski said he anticipates that the bill will get passed in the new session given the level of bipartisan support it has.

Governor Kathy Hochul is attempting to secure a full four-year term on the Democratic and Working Families line against Republican and Conservative endorsed candidate Lee Zeldin. Zeldin currently is the 1st Congressional District Representative. Hochul took over as Governor following Andrew Cuomo‘s resignation in August 2021. For the Lieutenant Governor’s race, Antonio Delgado is running with Hochul and Alison Esposito is running with Zeldin

Voters from Chautauqua County across to Stueben County and now part of Erie County will vote on a new representative for the new 23rd Congressional District. Republican Nick Langworthy is facing Democrat Max Della Pia for that seat. The pre-2020 census district was formerly led by Tom Reed for the last 10 years and is currently represented by Joe Sempolinski.

Longtime incumbent and Democrat Chuck Schumer is running for re-election against Republican Joe Pinion and LaRouche party candidate Diane Sare.

Two other statewide offices on the ballot include incumbent State Attorney General Letitia James on the Democratic and Working Families line facing Michael Henry on the Republican and Conservative lines.

And incumbent State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli on the Democratic and Working Families lines is facing Paul Rodriguez on the Republican and Conservative lines.

In State Legislative races, incumbent State Senator George Borrello is running on the Republican and Conservative lines for the 57th District against Dan Brown on the Democratic line. Incumbent Assemblyman Andy Goodell is also running on the Republican and Conservatives lines against Democrat Sandra Lewis.

In Chautauqua County races, the County Sheriff race is unopposed with incumbent Jim Quattrone running on the Republican and Conservative lines.

There are two special elections for the Chautauqua County Legislature.

In District 7, incumbent John Penhollow is running on the Republican and Conservative lines against Barbara Colt who is running on the Democratic and Working Families lines. Penhollow was appointed to fill the seat after Mark Odell resigned in July 2021.

In District 10, Republican incumbent Jaime Gustafson is running unopposed. She was appointed to fill the seat after Ken Lawton resigned due to moving out of the district. District 10 represents the southwest side of Jamestown, the Village of Lakewood and part of the Town of Busti.

In the City of Jamestown, a special election for the Ward 5 City Council seat is being held between incumbant Bill Reynolds on the Republican and Conservative lines and Democrat Doug Lawson. The winner of that race will fill out the remainder of that seat’s term following Grant Olson declining to take the seat after the 2021 election.

There are five seats open for the 8th Judicial State Supreme Court Justices. Running on all four lines of Democratic, Republican, Conservative and Working Families is Craig Hannah. Kelly Vacco and Gerald Greenan III are running on the Democratic, Republican, and Conservatives lines. Shannon Heneghan is running on the Democratic and Working Families lines. And Joseph Lorigo is running on the Republican and Conservatives lines.

There is one proposition located on the back of the ballot.

The Clean Water, Clean Air, and Clean Jobs Environmental Bond Act would, if approved, authorize New York State to borrow $4.2 billion to fund environmental protection, natural restoration, resilience, and clean energy projects.

The State Legislature has already approved the plan, which allows the state to sell the bonds immediately after approval. But in order to sell the bonds, the state has to get approval from voters.

Polls are open Tuesday from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. in Chautauqua County.

For all of WRFA’s Election coverage, visit https://www.wrfalp.com/election-2022/

For voting information, including sample ballots and voting locations, visit VoteChautauqua.com

We’ll have Election Night coverage starting at 8pm tonight on 107.9 WRFA-LP.

Congressman Joe Sempolinski at swearing in ceremony at the U.S House of Representatives (September 13, 2022)

Joe Sempolinski has been sworn into the United States House of Representatives as Congressman for the 23rd district of New York.

Sempolinski, speaking on the floor of the House Tuesday night, said he’s been repeatedly asked why he would run when he will only serve for four months, “My answer has always been it would be an honor to serve for 4 minutes. Most people in history have lived their lives under despots and tyrants. But not here, not in America, that is the freedom our ancestors purchased for us at such great cost. We choose those who speak for us. To do so is a sacred thing.”

Sempolinski is filling the remainder of Tom Reed‘s term after Reed stepped down this Spring for a new job. The new 23rd District will be a contest between state Republican Party Chair Nick Langworthy and Democrat Max Della Pia.

The Republican won a special election against Democrat Max Della Pia to fill the seat vacated by former Representative Tom Reed, who left office in May to take another job.

The swearing in will take place on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Sempolinski will be joined by Democrat Pat Ryan, who is being sworn in to represent New York’s 19th Congressional District. Alaska Representative-elect and Democrat Mary Peltola also will be sworn in after defeating Sarah Palin in a special election there to fill the state’s lone seat in the House of Representatives.

A New York State law passed in 2019 demanded special elections for the two districts, even as redistricting has changed the boundaries for the upcoming November elections.

Sempolinski said in his campaign that he was running only to fill the remainder of the outgoing 23rd District. The new 23rd District will be a contest between state Republican Party Chair Nick Langworthy and Democrat Max Della Pia.

Joe Sempolinski

Sempolinski released a statement saying the swearing in for himself, the 19th District of New York, and the Alaska At-Large seat will take place in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol. He said the September 13th date was chosen as that’s the next day the House is scheduled to be in session.

Sempolinski will only serve until the end of the current term that was left vacant when former Congressman Tom Reed resigned. Republican Nick Langworthy and Democrat Max Della Pia are facing off in the November General Election to represent the 23rd Congressional District starting in January 2023.

Election results for Primary and Special Election for 23rd Congressional District as of August 25, 2022

Republican Nick Langworthy will face Democrat Max Della Pia in November’s General Election for the 23rd Congressional seat.

Langworthy won the Republican primary for the new 23rd district against Carl Paladino on Tuesday. According to the State Board of Elections, with 423 of 424 districts reporting, Langworthy received 24,275 vote compared with Paladino’s 22,283 votes.

Republican Joe Sempolinski defeated Della Pia in the special election on Tuesday to fill the remainder of former Congressman Tom Reed‘s term in the current 23rd Congressional Seat. Sempolinski receved 52.8% of the vote to Della Pia’s 46.3%, with all districts reporting.

Sempolinski released a statement saying,

“It is the honor of a lifetime to be selected by my friends and neighbors to speak for them on the floor of the US House of Representatives. I intend to spend my time in Congress fighting for the people that have given me everything in my life. I will work to make sure that the voice of the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes is heard throughout the remainder of this Congressional term. One of the chief things that makes our nation great is that we are governed by representatives chosen by and from among the people. To be selected as one of those representatives, even for a few months, is a sacred duty.”

Map Created by Irena Raia

Early voting for the special election for the 23rd Congressional District and the Republican Primary for the 23rd District begins Saturday.

Chautauqua County Board of Elections Commissioner Brian Abram said everyone who is a registered voter in Chautauqua County is eligible to vote in the special election, “So the door is wide open for everybody to walk in and decide on the special election between Max Della Pia and Joe Sempolinski on who they want to serve out the rest of Tom Reed‘s 23rd Congressional District until the end of the year. The next phase is, every Republican walking in the door will be entitled to two ballots. Because not only will they be able to participate in the special, but there is a primary going on between Nick Langworthy and Carl Paladino.”

Abram said that primary will determine which Republican will be on the ballot in November against Democratic candidate Max Della Pia.

He added that once the special election results are certified, the winning candidate will be sworn in to serve out the remainder of Tom Reed’s term in Congress.

Early voting will continue through Sunday, August 21 and will take place at the Chautauqua County Fairgrounds, the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown, the Chautauqua Mall in Lakewood, and at the Board of Elections offices in Mayville. Hours for early voting, sample ballots and more can be found at votechautauqua.com

The official primary and special election day is Tuesday, August 23 with polls open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. that day.

This election will be to finish the current Congressional term vacated by Tom Reed and will take place in the district as it has been configured for the last 10 years.

The Democratic party has endorsed Max Della Pia to run in the special election.

Whoever is elected will take office almost immediately and serve until January 3, 2023.
Sempolinski first declared his candidacy for Congress last July 2021. He is the current Chairman of the Steuben County Republican Committee. He is also a former senior Congressional staffer. He lives with his wife and daughters in Canisteo.

Nick Langworth, Carl Paladino (photo credit – Wikipedia)

WIVB is reporting that State GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy is running for the 23rd Congressional district.

The Buffalo TV station said sources confirmed that Langworthy is entering the race as Chris Jacobs’ substitution. A substitution can occur when there is a declination by another candidate.
Langworthy’s name will be on both the Republican and Conservative lines. Because of Jacobs’ declination, Langworthy does not need the required signatures typically needed to get on the ballot in a primary.

Jacobs’ decision not to run came after recent comments he made regarding gun laws that received extreme pushback from fellow Republicans.

Carl Paladino announced his run Friday in response to Chris Jacobs ending his bid to stay in the House.
Tompkins County legislator Mike Sigler previously said he would enter the race, but told WIVB on Friday that he would be stepping aside to put his support behind Langworthy.

Former Tom Reed staffer, Joe Sempolinski, stated on Twitter that he is only running in the Special Election to fill out the remaining term of his former boss. He said he has not made an endorsement for the primary yet.

Representation of the 23rd Congressional District is up for grabs following the resignation of Congressman Tom Reed last month. He had announced more than a year ago that he would not be seeking another term, following an allegation of sexual misconduct by a lobbyist.

The Republican primary election will take place August 23.

Carl Paladino statement on Twitter announcing candidacy for 23rd Congressional District

Buffalo businessman and one-time candidate for governor, Carl Paladino, has entered the race for the 23rd Congressional District.

The Republican announced on Twitter that he has enough petitions to qualify for the Republican and Conservative lines in addition to having $500,000 cash on hand for the campaign.

Paladino announced on Friday he’d run if Congressman Chris Jacobs stepped down from the race. Jacobs abandoned his re-election campaign after expressing support for a federal assault weapons ban, which received intense backlash from GOP leaders.

Governor Kathy Hochul officially declared that special elections to fill the vacancies in the 19th and 23rd Congressional Districts will be held on Tuesday, August 23. The special elections will fill the vacancies created by the resignations of Antonio Delgado, who is now the state’s Lieutenant Governor; and Tom Reed.

A primary will be held the same day for the 23rd District. Other Republicans had previously announced they planned to run in the new district including State Republican Party Chair Nick Langworthy.

Democrat Max Della Pia will be that party’s candidate in the special election and in the general election should no other Democrat step forward to force a primary.

The deadline to file petitions to run in the special election is Friday, June 10.