St. Joe’s to host Erie County District Attorney debate between Mike Keane, James Gardner

The debate will be livestreamed in the video player above.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute is hosting its annual political debate at 9:30 a.m. Thursday between Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael Keane and James Gardner, they announced in a post .

The debate comes as the two candidates will vie for the position of Erie County District Attorney on Nov. 5.

Keane (D) has served as Acting Erie County District Attorney since March 2024, taking over after John Flynn. He previously held the position of the first deputy district attorney under Flynn since 2017.

According to his campaign website, Keane has worked to continue legal education programs and establish stricter guidelines for evidence discovery. He helped in innovating the opioid intervention court in Buffalo, which he said is the first in the U.S., as well as special courts to combat human trafficking, youth gun violence and DWI.

Gardner (R) has pursued a legal career as a prosecutor and law clerk over 14 years, according to his website . He served as Erie County’s assistant district attorney from 2010 to 2017.

According to his campaign site he wants to “uphold our Erie County values,” including “putting criminals behind bars, supporting law enforcement, keeping our schools and communities safe, [and] upholding the U.S. and NYS constitutions.”

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