SD-58: Delano Puts People First
by Matt at Oct 13th, 2008
Donn Esmonde writes in the Buffalo News:
It is the same to him, really. Only the job will change. His motivation is the same.
Ask any cop why he does it, and the answer is simple: To help people. This is the instinct that Dennis Delano carries with him, as he morphs from policeman to politician. This is the thread that connects the renowned Buffalo cold-case detective to his late-life career change.
Jumping from a job that is as real as a fist to the face to a profession synonymous with phoniness is not that large of a leap — not when you examine Delano’s basic instinct. Politicians have the power to help people, if they use it the way it should be — but seldom is — used. Delano, who is running for State Senate, wants to use the power that way. He may, against all odds, get the chance.
It is all but impossible to unseat a state legislator. The return rate is upwards of 95 percent. It is no surprise. Legislators draw their own districts and stuff them with same-party voters. They have a support army of people who owe their jobs to the party. These and other advantages cement the seats of established state lawmakers.
Esmonde says that he doesn’t know if Delano “will be able to wade through the muck in Albany, if he gets there. But I know why he has a rare shot to unseat a state legislator. The choice between a hero cop and a career politician is never too hard.”
What a privilege it has been for me to get to know Dennis, he is so down to earth and honest. To listen to him and Diane LaValle at lunch last week was an eye opener as to the inner workings of the DA’s office.
I hope to bring Dennis to Victory in 3 weeks and I look forward to helping him even more as he takes on the corruption in Albany.