Falls GOP endorses retired police officer in mayoral race

Niagara Falls Republicans are backing a retired city police officer with military experience in this year’s race for mayor.

Members of the Niagara Falls Republican Committee voted unanimously last week to endorse the candidacy of Carlton Cain, a Falls native and former member of the U.S. Air National Guard who spent 29 years working for the city’s police department leading up to his retirement in 2019.

Cain joins an announced field of mayoral candidates that includes incumbent Democrat Robert Restaino, former Niagara Falls city lawmaker Glenn Choolokian and local contractor Demetrius Nix.

“I believe I can contribute to the betterment of the city,” Cain said. “I’m at a time in my life where I am fortunate enough to be retired so I get the opportunity to continue my life-long service to people.”

Cain’s roots in the Falls run deep. He grew up in the city and attended local schools. He said he got his first taste of volunteering in the 11th grade when he helped coach children at Harry F. Abate Elementary School. From there, he said, he chose to dedicate the bulk of his adult life to public service, both in the military and as a member of the Falls police force.

William Carroll, chairman of the Falls Republican Committee, said Cain earned the committee’s endorsement based on his professional experience, education and his commitment to running an administration and city hall that would be accountable to residents.

“Cain expressed a strong desire to lessen the burden of taxpayers and engage people from all parts of the city in dialogue about better understanding the community’s needs, from crime reduction to attracting private businesses and working with existing businesses, to identifying and supporting feasible opportunities for visitors to extend their stays,” Carroll noted in a press release issued by the Falls Republican Committee on Monday.

Cain received his undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He earned a master’s degree in business management and leadership from Liberty University and a master’s degree in criminal justice from Niagara University. He is also a graduate for the FBI National Academy and the U.S. Supreme Court Summer Institute at Georgetown University Law Center.

He joined the city police department as a patrolman in 1990 and worked his way up the ranks to deputy chief, the post he held when he retired in 2019.

During his tenure with the department, Cain also served in internal affairs and was honored by the U.S. Department of Justice for Outstanding Prevention Initiative for Drug Trafficking in high-density drug areas.

Prior to joining the police department, Cain served with the 107th Air National Guard Refueling Wing.

Cain is currently vice president of the board for the Niagara Falls Education Foundation and is a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and Heart, Love and Soul in the Falls.

Cain said he developed leadership experience over the course of his career in law enforcement and the military, adding that his experience also helped him better appreciate what he believes is needed in the City of Niagara Falls: Leadership accountability.

The 58-year-old Cain, a father of three adult children, said he wants voters in the Falls to understand that, if elected, he would be committed to running a transparent administration.

“I’m going to be responsive and I’m going listen to them so we can work this out together. I think that’s the key. It’s not that i have all the answers, but we together should be able to work this out.”

Cain opposes the Restaino administration’s plan to acquire, through the city’s legal power of eminent domain, 10 acres of land from the private firm Niagara Falls Redevelopment for use as the site of a proposed $150 million “events campus” known as Centennial Park.

Cain, who grew up on the East Side in a home that was impacted by Urban Renewal in the Falls, said he fears Centennial Park would have a similar impact as the original Niagara Falls Convention and Civic Center, which ran at a loss for many years before being turned over to the Seneca Nation of Indians for use as Seneca Niagara Casino.

“I’m a result of urban renewal from the east Falls Street area of the city. I see that the city is going down that road again with eminent domain,” he said. “The first time we had (eminent domain), we got the convention center. It was supposed to make us a world class city and we see how that turned out.”

“I don’t think the government should be in the business of business and that’s what we’re doing with Centennial Park,” he added.

If elected, Cains said he would place a greater emphasis on combatting crime. He said he would advocate for returning programs that he felt worked effectively in the past, including “Game Changers” and “Kicking it with a cop.”

“I don’t have all the answers but together we should be able to make this place better,” he said.

In addition to Cain, the Falls Republican Committee also endorsed city council candidates Vincent Cauley and Michael Gawel, incumbent Sixth District county Legislator Chris Voccio and Third District Legislature candidate Christopher McKimmie.