Deese Announces Candidacy for 149th Assembly District
Buffalo, NY - Kevin Deese, a business professional at M&T Bank and Supply Corps Officer in the Navy Reserve, is announcing his run for New York’s 149th Assembly District. As a resident of the City of Buffalo’s West Side with family roots in the Town of Hamburg, Deese’s candidacy is an ideal fit for a diverse district that spans both urban and suburban communities. His announcement follows the announcement earlier today by the seat’s incumbent that he will not be seeking reelection.
“I wasn’t raised in Buffalo, but I was raised by Buffalo: my dad is a native Buffalonian, diehard Bills fan, and former treasurer of his local air traffic controllers’ union. I grew up in a suburb very much like my husband Jake’s hometown of Hamburg, where the Sunday routine in the fall was like clockwork: the whole family goes to Mass at 11 AM, goes home to change into Bills gear, and gets to the Orlando Bills Backers Bar in time for 1 PM kickoff,” said Deese.
Deese moved to his father’s hometown in 2020 and made headlines last year after his success as the named plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the merit and constitutionality of the Pentagon’s HIV policies and his subsequent commissioning as a Supply Corps Officer in the Navy Reserve in a ceremony at the Buffalo Naval Park. A 2014 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Deese was diagnosed as HIV-positive shortly before his graduation and was barred from commissioning. He again made headlines in 2024 in his upset win by a two-to-one margin as an outsider in a race for the Erie County Democratic Committee.
Deese said, “These fights and others have taught me an important lesson: When the odds are long but the fight is right, you don’t back down. You double down. And I know that’s a lesson Western New Yorkers know all too well.” He continued, “As word spread in recent months that Assemblymember Rivera may run for State Senate, I began having conversations with family, neighbors, friends, and party leaders. The rest of this month, my work in politics will continue to focus on my role as a Democratic Committee member to get out the vote in my neighborhood for our candidates on the November 4 ballot. Come November 5, I am ready to hit the ground running.”
Those interested in getting involved in Deese’s campaign can reach out via email at info@kevindeese.com.
Kevin is a Navy reservist. Use of his military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.
Kevin is an employee of M&T Bank. Reference to his employment status and role does not imply endorsement by M&T Bank or its PAC.
