Shake Things Up

I am not a political insider. Go ahead—pretend I am.

Have I ever been hand-picked for a role? Given an easy race? Sat in office for years while nothing changed?

No. I’ve always fought from the outside.

If you want an insider, go get one. They’re already in charge.

I’m the guy who fights corruption on both sides—and often gets hit for it. I fought Trump, and he attacked me personally. I fought Cuomo, too. I say that because so few politicians will ever fight for anything, let alone corruption inside their own party. Most won’t risk their donors, their careers, or their comfort. I did.

I never took a bribe. I never took a cushy job for staying quiet. I never cashed out through an authority, a no-show board seat, or an insider deal. I built a career in the private sector—from small businesses to major global companies—actually delivering results, managing budgets, creating jobs, and being accountable when things went wrong. That’s experience most politicians in this region simply don’t have.

And I don’t scare easily.

I don’t care who you voted for last time. I don’t care if you call yourself a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, or someone who stopped paying attention altogether. I’m not here to flatter any political tribe—I’m here to shake things up.

Politicians are public servants. They are supposed to deliver results. Instead, too many just hope you keep voting for them out of habit, because you’re “on the same team.” So let me ask a simple question: how is that working out for Western New York?

Look around and be honest. People are leaving this region. Our kids grow up here and then leave, because opportunity left first. Niagara Falls is worse than it was years ago—which should be impossible, given that we sit beside one of the greatest natural wonders on Earth. Every week there’s another corruption story in the paper—another investigation, another insider deal—and everyone shrugs, because corruption has become background noise.

Meanwhile, billions of dollars flow to other regions. Big announcements. Ribbon cuttings. Photo ops. And what do we get? Excuses. Delays. Studies. Promises that lead nowhere. The wealth generated here—from power and tourism—is stripped out of this region and sent to Albany, and it doesn’t come back.

So the question is simple: who is actually fighting for us?

After years of watching politics up close, I’ve learned that most politicians fall into one of four categories. They’re lazy. They’re inept. They’re tired. Or they’re corrupt. That’s it. Some started with good intentions—but intentions don’t matter when nothing changes. Others perfected the art of looking busy while producing nothing. Too many learned how to avoid risk, avoid responsibility, and explain failure instead of fixing it.

And year after year, election after election, we keep sending the same people back and wondering why nothing improves.

The biggest threat to this region isn’t one party or another. It’s stagnation. It’s neglect. It’s apathy—the quiet acceptance that this is just how things are. We hear it all the time: All politicians are the same. Nothing ever changes. It doesn’t matter. That mindset is exactly what allows decline to become normal. It convinces good people to lower their expectations while politicians coast, knowing no one expects results anymore.

That’s how regions disappear.

Now let’s talk about strategy, not ideology.

From a purely practical standpoint, explain this to me: what does sending a Republican to a Democratic supermajority Assembly actually accomplish? Tweet angrily? Issue press releases? In today’s partisan climate, a Republican Assembly member won’t even be allowed to rename a post office — let alone deliver real resources to Niagara Falls or Niagara County.

That’s not opinion. That’s reality.

So ask yourself an honest question: how has sending corrupt Republicans to Albany—even if you instinctively distrust Democrats—actually helped our region?

Look around. Our cities are struggling. Our infrastructure is neglected. Our people are falling behind.

The people in charge haven’t delivered.

They aren’t delivering.

And they won’t deliver.

They can’t.

It’s time to stop pretending otherwise.

I’m asking you to reject that. Stop voting out of habit. Stop voting out of fear.

Give me a shot—not because I’m perfect or have all the answers, but because the status quo is failing us, and protecting it is far more dangerous than challenging it. I’m not running to be liked. I’m running because I refuse to accept that this is as good as it gets. I’m willing to work. I’m willing to fight. I’m willing to be uncomfortable. And I’m willing to be held accountable for results.

If you’re tired of being ignored, if you’re tired of watching money, power, and opportunity leave Western New York, then shake things up. Demand more. Give change a chance.

Because doing nothing is the one choice we already know doesn’t work.

What do we really have left to lose that we haven’t already lost?