NY-26: Chris Lee Fundraiser A Huge Success!
by Matt at Jun 30th, 2008
I got back from the Chris Lee for Congress fundraiser at the Buffalo-Niagara Marriott in Amherst a little while ago. It was a big event with lots of people and campaign officials tell me it was a huge success.
Yours truly was in attendance at the fundraiser for both the VIP Meet & Greet and the reception that followed.
There were quite a few local party leaders and Republican candidates there this evening, and I was fortunate to meet quite a few of them. Jim Domagalski, chairman of the Erie County Republican Party, Henry F. Wojtaszek, chairman of the Niagara County Republican Party, and Ed Cox, the New York State chairman of Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign.
As for the candidates, I had really good conversations with Dan Humiston, who’s running for congress in the 27th District (my district) and Detective Dennis Delano, candidate for the State Senate.
Also there this evening was Congressman Tom Reynolds. There were a lot of people who wanted to speak with him, so I only talked to him briefl
y, but I expect to be conducting an interview with him for The Buffalo Bean sometime in the near future.
Of course, the man of the hour was Chris Lee. Congressman Reynolds introduced Lee to the VIP Meet & Greet, praising him for “understanding Western New York and its values.” He called Lee a “new voice in the next generation of leadership,” and after describing Lee’s background in business and his family, said that Lee “brings strong conservative values and principles to the aspect of what [being in Congress] needs and is about.”
Later, at the reception, Reynolds once again introduced Chris Lee to the larger crowd. He began by saying that he truly believes the saying that “all politics is local” and that he practiced that his entire career. He explained, “Chris Lee brings [in his life experience] … an experience of business, [and] a native aspect of being a Western new Yorker,” and of being the father of a three-year-old.
Reynolds hinted at the success of the fundraiser by revealing that it was “a record setting fundraiser for an inaugural candidacy for anyone running for the United States House of Representatives.”
Then he welcome the next congressman for the 26th district, Chris Lee.
Flattered by the large crowd and enormous enthusiasm, Chris Lee promised to work for the people of his district, he recognized that the people in this room that he’d be working for, “you’re paying my salary if I’m fortunate enough to get there.”
“The partisan bickering that goes on in Washington is at an all time high,” Lee explained, “and at the end of the day what people want are decisions to be made, though decisions, and it doesn’t matter what side of the aisle you are or what party you represent. We gotta get things accomplished in Washington. People are frustrated and they want real change. They want true accountability…”
“If you listen to people, you find the answers.” He told the crowd.
Donate to Chris Lee’s campaign today!
UPDATE: Joe Illuzzi from PoliticsNY.net was also there and he’s posted a write up of the event as well.
