Erie County Comptroller Mark C. Poloncarz secured a second four-year term Tuesday in a rebuke to the county executive who longed for his defeat.

With most of the results counted, Poloncarz, a Democrat living in Buffalo, had taken 52 percent of the votes cast.

His main opponent, East Aurora Republican Philip C. Kadet, was collecting 45 percent.

Minor party candidate Michael J. Abramo was taking 3 percent.

Poloncarz's re-election is a rebuff to County Executive Chris Collins, whose team largely fueled the Kadet campaign in an effort to bounce Poloncarz out of office.

But Poloncarz retains his perch as the county's chief financial officer and internal auditor, and his name remains in play as a potential candidate for county executive in 2011.

Collins had always rejected the idea that he wanted Poloncarz defeated as a way to knock out a rival for his office.

Collins instead has explained that he sees political motives in every Poloncarz move and finds him in his way on several fronts.

"The comptroller has not worked well with me," Collins complained late in 2008.

"What I I believe the voters said — which is exactly what I have been saying all along — is that they want checks and balances in government," Poloncarz said late Tuesday, moments before claiming victory at Democratic Party headquarters.

"You have to work with all parties, but not be afraid to call it as you see it," he said. "That's what I will continue to do now that the voters have given me the privilege of serving again. And this is truly a privilege."

Poloncarz in 2005 won around 55 percent of the vote in a three-way race. But with a general election contest for Buffalo mayor in 2005, turnout among the city's Democratic voters was heavier that year.

Republicans this year fielded no mayoral candidate, to suppress the Democratic vote in Buffalo and help the Republican candidates in the countywide races of comptroller and sheriff. However, it was not enough to push Kadet over the top in his race against the Democratic incumbent.

Kadet, a retired accounting executive, polled strong in early returns. He had spent about $160,000 by Oct. 23, when his most recent campaign report was due at the state Board of Elections. And he brought in about $100,000 in the days leading up to the election, including $50,000 tapped from his personal fortune.

By contrast, Poloncarz had spent about $65,000 this year before the same reporting deadline.

Kadet had no immediate comment for The Buffalo News at a Republican Party gala late Tuesday.

Kadet had wanted his name to appear on the ballot's valuable Independence Party line, in addition to his Republican line. But he narrowly lost the Independence Party primary in September to Abramo, an Independence Party member.

Abramo ran largely as a spoiler. He did not want party leaders at the state level to designate Kadet as their candidate over the wishes of the Independence Party Committee in Erie County.

The state's Independence Party leaders have told Erie County that they will control the party's endorsements, with advice from billionaire B. Thomas Golisano, a party founder, and his political adviser, G. Steven Pigeon. That meant the state organization's endorsement would not go to Poloncarz, a Democrat aligned with Democratic Party headquarters.

Copyright 2009, The Buffalo News. Photo linked from Buffalo News by Harry Scull, Jr.