Erie County Comptroller Mark Poloncarz made it official over the weekend. He’s running for county executive.
The Democrat entered the race with a press conference in Lackawanna, and then toured the county, according to the Tonawanda News.
Poloncarz will oppose Republican incumbent Chris Collins, who is seeking a second term.
The two men wasted no time in trading shots.
Poloncarz accused Collins of running the county in an imperious fashion. “It’s time to serve the people of Erie County,” the Democrat said, “not rule over them.”
Collins accused the challenger of using his position to advance his career. “Poloncarz has politicized the comptroller’s office with audits that provide no value to taxpayers,” the incumbent said, “and has proven incompetent at the basic functions of his job.”