Bill Nojay speaks at a gun rights rally in 2013. | AP Photo/Mike Groll Voters hand Nojay primary victory in aftermath of his suicide

ALBANY — Four days after Assemblyman Bill Nojay committed suicide in his family’s Rochester burial plot, voters appeared poised to hand him a victory against his Republican primary challenger.

The win by Nojay means local Republican officials will get to choose the party’s nominee for the November general election.


With more than 91 percent of election districts reporting as of 11 p.m. Tuesday, Nojay had a 58 percent to 41 percent lead over Honeoye Falls Mayor Richard Milne.

The win isn’t completely surprising. In recent days, several prominent Republicans in the region urged voters to cast their ballots for Nojay.

“At a prior meeting of the Hornell GOP, the committee unanimously endorsed Assemblyman Bill Nojay,” the Hornell Republican Committee said Sunday in a statement. “Despite the unexpected and tragic loss of our Assemblyman, the endorsement still stands.”

Conservative radio host Bob Lonsberry described his forthcoming vote for Nojay as “a memorial to a man who I truly believe was an excellent public servant. It’s a sign of respect for his grieving family, and it’s a reflection of my political choice.”

Lonsberry, like others, also described Milne as too moderate for the district — he supports gay marriage, for example.

Because of views like this, it’s unlikely the district’s Republicans will be happy if the party gives its line to Milne. And the fact that he recently lost a vote to a deceased person will probably make it difficult to make a case that he would be a likely winner in November.