Last year, the Conservative Party of NY named him the state’s most conservative legislator, as it did in 2013. The Daily News reported the incident occurred at a family cemetery plot.
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The chairman of the Monroe County Republican Party, Bill Reilich, confirmed his colleague’s passing Friday morning to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.
Assemblyman Bill Nojay, 59, has died, four days before he faced a Republican primary for his 133rd Assembly District seat. A call came in at 9:22 a.m. for welfare check at the cemetery, and an officer saw the person shoot himself, investigator Frank Camp said. “Upon arrival, the responding officer did observe an individual on the grounds shoot himself”. “It’s bad to hear this about anybody, but certainly somebody who has been a public servant and somebody who I personally knew”.
Nojay was set to face off against Honeoye Falls Mayor Rick Milne in a Republican Party primary September 13, with the victor going on to face Democratic candidate Barbara Baer for New York’s 133rd Assembly District, which included all of Livingston County, the southern edge of Monroe County and the northern edge of Steuben County. He was to run in a Republican primary on Tuesday. Nojay was also a businessman, radio talk show host and former chairman at RGRTA. “Our thoughts are with the Nojay family and their loved ones during this hard time”.
The Democrat running in Nojay’s district, Barbara Baer, announced she would suspend her campaign out of respect following Nojay’s death. “My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and colleagues in the Assembly during this extraordinarily hard and painful time”, State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan said in a statement. Bill was a partner in government with a strong voice for upstate NY and a champion for the people he represented. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Bill’s wife and children”.
“A loss like this transcends politics and government, leaving only hollowness and heartbreak in its wake”.
New York State Senator Rich Funke released a statement on the death of Nojay. “I know he cared deeply about the citizens he served and was a strong voice for the entire community”.
Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb in a statement said, “our collective hearts are broken”. While we disagreed on most policy issues, Bill was a kind and smart man who was a pleasure to see on the campaign trail. “My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this tragic time”.
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Senator Patrick Gallivan, R-Elma, whose 59th senate district likewise overlapped with parts of Nojay;s 133rd assembly district, said he was “shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Assemblymember Nojay”.
