Livingston County GOP nominates first-time candidate for 133rd Assembly District

Livingston County, N.Y. (WHAM) - The Livingston County GOP Party has endorsed a candidate for the 133rd Assembly District, and it's not the Republican incumbent. The party has nominated former Rochester City Court Judge Marge Byrnes.

Incumbent Joe Errigo was thought to get the nod from the GOP Committee. He was shocked and hurt when he didn't.

The state Assemblyman has been serving the people of Livingston, Monroe and Steuben counties in the 133rd District for the past year and a half.

"I love these people. That's what it's all about,” said Errigo. "It probably sounds corny.”

Errigo came out of retirement to run for the vacant seat he previously held for about a decade. He served in the NYS Assembly from 2001-2010.

When he sat down with 13WHAM, he got emotional. He’s now unsure if he'll be able to finish the work he started. Work that includes improving the lives of youth and the juvenile justice system.

Errigo said if he wins this will be his last term in office.

"I would like to get one more term, because I want to finish different things I started,” he said. “Hopefully they come through and I'll be satisfied."

Winning the election may be difficult without the backing of the Livingston County GOP, who is endorsing first-time candidate Byrnes. She currently serves as a Caledonia Village Trustee.

"I felt comfortable that I would get the nomination,” said Byrnes. “I was surprised that I won as large as a margin as I did. That surprised me, and made me feel very good that the work I put in and conversations I had were meaningful."

Brynes was an attorney for more than 30 years, and for several years served as Monroe County's Assistant DA. For 10 years, she served on the bench as Rochester's City Court Judge.

"I thought this was the opportunity for somebody new to get involved, to get established in the seat, not just for two years, but for now and hopefully for a while into the future," she said.

She believes her experience makes her the right fit for the job in Albany.

"I will be very vocal in opposition to some of the governor's progressive agendas," Byrnes said. "I'm retired now from the court system. I have the time. I have the energy, and I think that was one of the deciding factors as the committee people voted last week."

But Errigo said he won't give up without a fight.

He said he's confident he'll receive the support from both the Monroe and Steuben County GOP committees.

"When I first ran, they told me do you think you're fit, because you're going to have to walk 5,000 houses? I said, 'Do you think you're fit, because I'm going to do more than that. It was over 7,000 houses I went to," he said.

The Monroe County GOP Convention is Monday night where the party is expected to announce its nomination. A spokesperson for the party chairman would not comment on the expected endorsement.

No one, as of yet, has announced a run on the Democrat party line.