Buffalo Common Councilmember Leah Halton-Pope is throwing her hat in the ring to replace Crystal Peoples-Stokes in the state assembly, after the assemblymember announced her retirement Wednesday to focus more on her health.
WATCH: ‘It’s bittersweet’: Crystal Peoples-Stokes announces retirement
‘It’s bittersweet’: Crystal Peoples-Stokes announces retirement
Halton-Pope worked with Peoples-Stokes in the state legislature for 11 years. That experience, teamed with an endorsement from her former boss the same day she announced her retirement, propelled the council majority leader to declare her interest in the seat.
“Unlike a lot of people, I spent my tenure at the state level literally side by side with [Peoples-Stokes]” Halton-Pope said. “So having those relationships, knowing leadership, knowing the process, having already written laws on her behalf, negotiating and helping to see things through on behalf of the city and the state – I think it puts me in a better position than most.”…