Chemung County legislator dies at 77: Mourning Brian Hyland and what's next for election
Longtime Chemung County legislator Brian Hyland died Sunday and is remembered as a businessman, outdoorsman and father and grandfather.
Hyland, 77, represented the 6th District, which comprises the towns of Elmira, Erin, Baldwin, Chemung and Van Etten. According to his obituary, he was survived by his wife, Suzanne, six children, two grandchildren and his sister.
Hyland won his first four-year term to the legislature in 2011, and was running for reelection this fall, opposed by Ryan Purvis, who is running on the Conservative and Freedom Party lines.
With Election Day looming on Nov. 8, county Republicans nominated a well-known Town of Chemung official and businessman to take his place on the ballot.
Since Hyland died more than a week before the Nov. 8 election, state law allows Republicans to nominate another candidate to take his place on the ballot, according to Republican county Election Commissioner Sperry Navone.
Brian Hyland obituary:Calling hours, funeral Mass scheduled
County GOP picks replacement
The Chemung County Republican Committee submitted paperwork Tuesday morning nominating Joseph Donovan to replace Hyland as the Republican candidate, Navone said.
Donovan is a member of the Chemung Town Board and owner of Donovan's Auto Service on Roberts Hollow Road in Lowman.
"Joe Donovan has come up in conversations (with Hyland) in the past," said Sara Lattin, the county Republican chair. "He's a staple in the community. He knows the community and the people know him. He's expressed interest in the past."
If Donovan wins election, he will have big shoes to fill, Lattin said. Hyland was an active and hands-on legislator during his tenure, she said.
"Brian Hyland attended town meetings. He was involved in everything. He wasn't someone to just show up," Lattin said. "He knew the issues, he cared about the issues. Brian Hyland cared about people and he cared about his district."
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What happens before Jan. 1?
Whoever wins election to the 6th District seat won't take office until Jan. 1.
The county legislature's personnel committee will hold a special meeting at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday to consider a replacement to fill the vacancy until the end of the year.
That will be followed by a meeting of the full legislature at 3 p.m. to take up the vacancy issue.
Both meetings will take place in the fifth floor legislative chambers of the Hazlitt Building, 203 Lake St. in Elmira.
Remembering Brian Hyland
According to his obituary, Hyland was a finance and business manager at IBM, and worked as a salesman. He was an avid hunter, fisherman, and martial artist.
Calling hours will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Blauvelt Funeral Home, 625 Broad Street, Waverly. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at St. James Catholic Church in Waverly.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Chemung County legislator Brian Hyland dies, GOP names successor
