Joel Giambra is an American politician from the State of New York. He is the former County Executive of Erie County, New York.
Early life
Giambra was born in Buffalo, New York in 1957 to a single mother, Shirley. He was raised in Buffalo by his mother and his grandmother. He lived in the Lakeview Housing Project, near the east bank of the Niagara River. Giambra later said, "It was an environment where everybody was poor but we didn’t know it." His mother eventually married Salvatore "Babe" Panaro. Giambra considers Panaro to be his father. His mother and stepfather had a daughter, Angela. preceded the 2005 budget problems. Then-New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer initiated a lawsuit against the furniture company for the overcharges. Some have accused Giambra of providing lucrative jobs to associates. His county staff measured 18, while Monroe County's executive had only four staffers and then downsized to three. a modified plan was adopted which laid off 2,000 county employees The Buffalo News published an Op-Ed agreeing with Giambra's statements that drug legalization should be studied further.
Since 2012, Giambra has been the co-host of the political debate program 2 Sides on WGRZ.
In 2018, Giambra announced he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of New York Giambra described himself as a "socially moderate" Republican, a supporter of campaign finance reform, and an opponent of corporate welfare. Conservative Party Chairman Michael R. Long "flatly reject[ed] Giambra who...[has made] significant donations to [Democrats such as] [Gov. Andrew] Cuomo, Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton [and supports] abortion rights, same sex marriage, gun control and marijuana legalization." After failing to generate support from Republicans, Giambra withdrew his name as a Republican candidate on March 1 and instead sought the nomination of the Reform Party of New York State. Giambra later asserted that the Conservative Party
was "an albatross...around the neck of the Republican Party." After the Reform Party deadlocked between Giambra and presumptive Republican nominee Marc Molinaro in its first attempt at nominating a candidate, delegates at the Reform Party state convention nominated Molinaro for governor on May 19, 2018.
On July 6, 2022, Giambra announced via Twitter that he was leaving the Republican party, stating "Friends and supporters: After careful thought and consideration, I have decided that I can no longer remain a Republican or continue with my campaign to seek the Republican nomination for Senator in the 61st District. I cannot stand with party leaders who double down in their support of the NRA after yet another mass shooting; who applaud the decision to take away a woman's right to choose & who encourage the elimination of LGBTQ rights; & who still believe that Donald Trump is their president."
Personal life
Giambra married Michelle Lettieri in 1982, and they have four children, Gabriella, Nicholas, Dominic, and Joel.