Bob Elmore

Monroe County Board Chairman Bob Elmore of Waterloo said this week he will not be running against 116th District State Representative Jerry Costello II in the next election after mulling a candidacy earlier this spring.

Elmore, who formerly served as chairman of the Monroe County Republican Central Committee, announced in March his intent to run for state representative.

However, Elmore told the Republic-Times he reconsidered after speaking to party officials about all that was required of him to make such a run.

“The party wanted me to campaign 24 hours a week and raise $50,000, which would probably be a lot of my money,” Elmore said. “I also would have (had) to resign from county board. The people who had urged me to run didn’t want me to step down as chairman of the county board.”

Costello (D-Smithton), who has served as state representative since July 2011, ran unopposed in the November election. His current term expires Jan. 8, 2019.