Robin Reynolds Wilt exploring candidacy for Louise Slaughter's congressional seat

Robin Reynolds Wilt, a member of the Brighton Town Board, is at the "end of an exploratory phase" of running for the congressional seat once held by late Rep. Louise Slaughter, Wilt said by telephone Sunday.

While she has not formally announced her candidacy, Wilt is raising funds on Crowdpac.com and is about to begin collecting petition signatures. The deadline for candidates to file the 1,250 signatures needed to get on the ballot is April 12.

Wilt said she attended Slaughter's funeral and felt inspired to "take up her legacy of progressive leadership."

Wilt owns a real estate brokerage firm located in Brighton and has lived in Brighton since 2003, according to biographies on the Brighton website and Crowdpac.com. She said she has been involved in many grassroots organizations and expects to run a grassroots campaign.

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​​​​​​​Wilt was a Democratic candidate for District 56 of the New York State Senate in 2010; she was defeated by incumbent Joe Robach.

"My primary goal in running for Congress is to ensure that access to the American Dream is not foreclosed to future generations; that our nation remains a beacon of economic prosperity and opportunity for the world, and that we continue to aspire to be a country that believes that the differences that divide us are less significant than the fundamental similarities that bring us together in the spirit of cooperation," her Crowdpac statement said.

Former mayoral candidate Rachel Barnhart and political newcomer Andrew Gilchrist have been circulating petitions for the Democratic nomination. Among the Democrats considering a run for the seat are Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle and Rochester Deputy Mayor Cedric Alexander, who are expected to announce their intentions as early as Monday.

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TRACYS@Gannett.com

This story includes reporting by Jon Campbell.