Six candidates have been endorsed by the Chautauqua County Republican Committee for the 2020 election.

The countywide GOP committee has endorsed incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Reed, R-Corning, for his re-election bid in New York’s 23rd Congressional District. The Republican was first elected to Congress following a special election in 2010. Prior to that he served as mayor of Corning. Reed has won re-election to Congress four times, most recently defeating Democrat Tracy Mitrano in 2018 by more than 20,000 votes. He is currently the co-chairman of the Problem Solvers Caucus and serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means.

The county Republican Committee has endorsed state Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, for his re-election bid to the 57th New York Senate District after his special election victory last fall over Democrat Austin Morgan. If re-elected, Borrello will be slated to serve the typical two-year term instead of just the current one-ear term he has been serving following the special election.

The county GOP committee has endorsed incumbent Andy Goodell for his re-election bid to the state Assembly. In 2018, Goodell won his re-election bid with 69% of the vote, defeating Democratic candidate Judith Eniach.

Goodell has won election to the Assembly five times. After longtime incumbent Democratic Assemblyman William Parment didn’t run for re-election in 2010, Goodell faced former Chautauqua County Legislator Nancy Barger. Goodell defeated Barger with 53% of the vote. In 2012, Goodell ran his first Assembly re-election campaign against former Chautauqua County Legislator Dr. Rudy Mueller. Goodell defeated Mueller with 59% of the vote. In 2014, Goodell was re-elected again, this time defeating Berrie Yochim with 72% of the vote. In 2016, Goodell beat Jason Perdue with 74% of the vote.

The county Republican Committee has endorsed Paul “PJ” Wendel for his first election bid to be county executive. Wendel was sworn in as county executive at the beginning of the year after he was selected by the county Republican Committee and approved by the Chautauqua County Legislature to replace former County Executive Borrello.

The county GOP committee has endorsed Jason Schmidt to run again for county district attorney. In 2016, Schmidt ran against Patrick Swanson, county district attorney, with Swanson winning with 27,552 votes to Schmidt’s 23,500.

The county Republican Committee has endorsed Ken Lawton to run for District 10 seat in the Chautauqua County Legislature. Lawton, who had served on the Busti Town Board, was approved by the county Legislature last month to replace Wendel after he was approved to be county executive.

Last week, the Chautauqua County Democratic Committee announced its endorsements for countywide races. Richard J. Morrisroe, a Dunkirk city attorney, has been selected to run for county executive; incumbent Swanson has been endorsed to run for re-election as county district attorney; and Mitrano has been endorsed to run again for the 23rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 2018, Mitrano won the Democratic primary in New York’s 23rd Congressional District, defeating four challengers to run against Reed.