By Marie Horrigan, CQ Staff

New York Democrat Jon Powers picked up the Erie County endorsement in his race for New York’s 26th District Tuesday night, giving him endorsements from each of the seven county committees but doing little to mitigate a potentially bruising three-way primary that includes millionaire industrialist Jack Davis and Buffalo lawyer Alice J. Kryzan.

The endorsement makes Davis’ uphill battle to replace retiring Republican Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds a little tougher. This is Davis’s third attempt to win the seat after unsuccessful campaigns against Reynolds in 2004 and 2006. Davis has invested increasing amounts of money in each campaign. As of March 31st, Davis reported raising $2.3 million — $2.2 million of which came from self-loans — and has said he will put $3 million total into the race. Powers reported raising $598,000 and had $402,000 on hand as of April 1 while Kryzan reported raising $288,000 and had $207,000 on hand by the end of the first quarter.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has already lined up behind Powers, adding him to its “Red to Blue” program for Democrats running for seats currently held by Republicans. The DCCC helps with fundraising and campaigning aid.

Davis’s interest in self-funding became a national issue last week when the U.S. Supreme Court heard his challenge to the “millionaires amendment” of the 2002 campaign finance law. The provision increases campaign contribution limits for candidates facing self-funding opponents, which Davis charged was unfair. A decision in the case is expected by the end of June, when the court wraps up its current term.

The candidates are scheduled to face off in the Sept. 9 primary.

Republicans also have seen recent developments in their efforts to find a consensus candidate for the race after top-tier candidate George Maziarz, a state senator, turned down a bid in March. Earlier this week the chairmen from the seven county Republican committees coalesced around one candidate, businessman Christopher J. Lee, over Iraq war veteran David Bellavia and businessman Rick Lewis.

Lee recently said that politics is something of a family business: his sister ran regional affairs in western New York for former Republican Gov. George E. Pataki and his father served as finance chair for former Republican Rep. Jack Quinn in several of his campaigns.

“I’ve always had politics around but I’ve always been focused on the business side,” Lee told CQ Politics.

However, the endorsement announcement has not cleared the GOP field. Bellavia has said he will continue his campaign and Lewis is said to be considering his next move.

CQ Politics rates the race as Leans Republican.