BUFFALO, N.Y. — Erie County Sheriff John Garcia will remain in office after running unopposed in the general election, but new details reveal Democrats had sought a challenger for the race.

Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner confirmed that party leaders approached former Buffalo Police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia about running against Garcia.

"End of last year and early this year we were recruiting for a sheriff candidate, but at that time the sheriff was an incredibly popular incumbent who had $5 million in his bank account, was very well respected throughout law enforcement, and we couldn't recruit somebody at the time," Zellner said.

"We tried to recruit former police commissioner Gramaglia for that seat, but he declined to run. And then, you know, petitions happened an

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