By Emily Carson
News Editor
Luke Stewart, a sophomore political science major, will run for common council of Salamanca on Nov. 6.
The City Common Council is a board of elected officials that represent different areas of a city or town. It is a legislative body that votes on city law, proposes bills and manages the budget, according to Stewart.
“In Salamanca, there are five council seats that represent the five areas in the city,” Stewart said. “A mayoral election, along with the council elections, is held every two years.”
Stewart has lived in Salamanca his entire life. He lives in the fifth ward of the city, meaning he will only run for the seat of Ward five and not for any other seat on the council.
“I have been very passionate about politics and government from a young age,” he said. “I knew that I wanted to run for City Council as soon as I had the opportunity, and so far this has been an eye opening and incredible experience.”
Stewart also said he hopes to one day have a career in politics and government.
“This seems like a great time to start.”
Stewart said there are steps that an interested person needs to take in order to become a candidate. First, he had to start a petition and obtain at least eight signatures in order to become a candidate. Secondly, if there is more than one person seeking the same endorsement, you will need to participate in a primary.
“I did not have to participate in a primary for I was the only republican seeking the position in Ward five,” he said. “If you win your primary, you will be on the ballot for Election Day in November.”
Stewart said he has been campaigning almost every day since the beginning of October.
“In local politics, this consists mostly of old fashioned door-to- door knocking,” he said. “Talking to folks and trying to get your message out is the most important thing in a political race.”
On Election Day, Stewart will run against Rich Cuozzo, who is endorsed by the city Democrats. Stewart will run as the republican nominee. There will also be an independent option.
Salamanca voters will also choose between democratic mayoral nominee Carmen Vecchiarella and republican mayoral candidate Larry Butler.
If elected, Stewart will work with the newly elected mayor and other councilmen to maintain a balanced budget, he said.
“Salamanca has a lot of money problems and we need to make smart, tough decisions about where we can allocate funding to,” Stewart said. “I will also look to open negotiations again with the Seneca Nation of Indians, who we lost casino revenue a few years back, which really hurt the city.”
There are also other problems in his own area Stewart plans to address.
“There are sidewalk repairs, road repairs, and a dangerous intersection that need to be addressed that has not been for quite some time.”
Stewart is looking forward to Election Day and to see the final results.
“If I’m elected I will be honored to serve the people in my Ward,” Stewart said. “It would be an incredible experience to serve the public and start representing people, and really getting a firsthand look at how government works day to day.”
