Political analysts weigh in on Buffalo mayoral debate

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3 days ago

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — As Tuesday night's mayoral debate unfolded, WIVB News 4 sat down with political analysts Carl Calabrese and Len Lenihan to dissect the evening's most impactful exchanges and see which candidates made the strongest impression.
According to Calabrese and Lenihan, the defining moments of the night came from State Senator Sean Ryan and Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon. Ryan emphasized a vision for revitalizing Buffalo, while Scanlon laid out his plan to address the city's budget crisis.
'Scanlon's strongest moment was trying to put forth a plan that, yes, we have a fiscal deficit, but he said, 'I've got a plan to do something about it,'' Lenihan said. 'Ryan's primary objective was to present a vision for change.'
Both analysts agreed that Ryan and Scanlon emerged as the front-runners in the debate, as they exchanged pointed jabs early on.
One of the most contentious moments came when Ryan linked Scanlon to controversial Republican figure Carl Paladino.
'Chris Scanlon has received tens of thousands of dollars from Carl Paladino,' Ryan claimed. 'And Carl Paladino has received tens of millions of dollars from the City of Buffalo. That ratio, Chris — I'd say you're a cheap date on this one.'
Scanlon quickly pushed back.
'That didn't take long. I thought that would come up soon tonight,' he said. 'I have not received $1 in this campaign from Carl Paladino. Who is fueling and funding my campaign are the 1,700 donors in Buffalo and Western New York.'
Calabrese noted Ryan's aggressive approach throughout the debate.
'He started off with the Paladino issue, ended with the MAGA issue, and went after Scanlon for being chairman of the Budget Committee,' Calabrese said. 'Scanlon, though, landed some strong counterpunches.'
While Calabrese and Lenihan said no one really took the edge Tuesday, one candidate that stood out to them was Rasheed Wyatt.
'The guy that surprised me was Rasheed Wyatt,' Calabrese said. 'He looked really good tonight. Not only did he have a command of the issues, but his personality came through.'
Lenihan agreed, highlighting Wyatt's stance on the city's fiscal missteps.
'I think his strongest argument was, 'Hey, these budgets that ran up the deficit — I didn't vote for them.''
However, Calabrese believed Scanlon missed opportunities to go on the offensive, particularly regarding public safety and bail reform.
'If you recall, Senator Ryan supported India Walton for mayor over Byron Brown. India Walton ran on a campaign of cutting 100 police officers and millions from the police budget,' Calabrese said. 'I would have been all over that if I were Scanlon. When the issue of public safety came up, and on bail reform, Scanlon could have cited real examples of crimes committed by individuals released under reforms that Ryan supported.'
As the race heads into its final three weeks, both analysts emphasized that this race is very much in the voters' hands.
'I think who is going to win this election is going to be the person who puts forth the strongest vision for change in the coming weeks,' Lenihan said. 'There's still time — three weeks in politics is a lifetime.'
'Overall, Scanlon looked like he could be mayor,' Calabrese said. 'Ryan looked like he could be mayor and I think Rasheed Wyatt elevated himself up to that level.'
Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.
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