An attorney representing the city of Dunkirk has received the Chautauqua County Democratic Committee endorsement for county executive.

The committee in a news release Sunday unanimously chose Richard J. Morrisroe, 45, as its candidate for the county’s top post in the Nov. 3 general election. When not serving as Dunkirk city attorney, Morrisroe, also has a general law practice with offices in Dunkirk and Buffalo.

“I will be taking some time to listen to the county’s residents, business owners and service users and to learn what concerns them most, what they would like to see change,” Morrisroe said in a statement released by the county Democrats.

“However, I already know that the No. 1 issue is jobs, the need to prepare our workforce for the coming retirements and the changes in technology and process; and the need to increase the number and types of jobs available in our cities and in our rural areas.

“Our county, particularly the Jamestown area, has struggled and I will bring a new energy and the experience, work history, relationships and education that will inform the leadership needed for Chautauqua County’s future,” Morrisroe continued.

Morrisroe lives in Dunkirk with his wife, Iris; his mother-in-law, Petronila Fernandez; and his two sons, Gabriel and Nicholas.

Also receiving Democratic endorsements are Patrick Swanson for another term as county district attorney and Tracy Mitrano for the 23rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Swanson, who was named acting DA when David Foley became county court judge, won election to the top position in the District Attorney’s Office in 2016.

“I have spent the last decade serving western New York as a prosecutor because I believe in the higher calling of public service and I have a vision for the justice system,” Swanson said. “The District Attorney’s office is the front line of most of our county’s most pressing challenges such as domestic violence, illegal guns and illegal drugs.

“But it’s also an opportunity to make a true impact on people’s lives, which is why I’ve been committed to taking on difficult cases on behalf of crime victims, creating a School Safety Team, fighting for needed office crime fighting resources and prioritizing treatment for people with substance abuse disorder. There is much more work to do to make our county safer and our justice system fairer.”

Mitrano, meanwhile, is again hoping to win a seat in Congress by going up against U.S. Rep. Tom Reed, R-Corning. The Democrat, who won in a crowded primary, lost to Reed in the 2018 general election.

“From factory lay-offs to invasive species in the lake, we need representation in Congress that is focused on our problems and I will fight for solutions in the best interest of Chautauquans and everyone else in New York’s 23rd district,” Mitrano said.

“I can’t wait to spend the next nine months working shoulder to shoulder with my friends from Dunkirk to Jamestown, from up in Silver Creek down to French Creek, and everywhere in between, knocking on doors and earning votes to win this district.

“After my spring in Chautauqua County this past year, it holds a special place for me, which is why I am especially excited to receive the full Chautauqua County Democratic Committee endorsement in my race for Congress.”

Norm Green, county Democratic Committee chairman, said a candidate is still being sought for the state Assembly.