Leah M. Halton-Pope
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July 1, 1981
Leah M. Halton-Pope | |
|---|---|
| Buffalo Common Council Majority Leader | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | David A. Rivera |
| Member of the Buffalo Common Council from the Ellicott District | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Darius Pridgen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Leah Marie Halton July 1, 1981 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Marc Pope |
| Occupation | Politician; government relations professional |
Leah M. Halton-Pope is an American politician and government relations professional who has served as the member of the Buffalo Common Council from the Ellicott District since 2024. She also serves as the council's majority leader.
Halton-Pope was raised by a working-class family in Western New York.[1] Before being elected to office, she worked in government relations and community outreach, including as a field organizer for Obama for America, at Girl Scouts of Western New York, as director of government and community relations at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and in senior staff roles for Crystal Peoples-Stokes, including senior advisor, deputy chief of staff, and legislative director.[2][3][4]
She has also served as third vice president of the Buffalo branch of the NAACP.[5]
Political career
In 2023, Halton-Pope ran for the open Ellicott District seat on the Buffalo Common Council after Darius Pridgen did not seek re-election. She won the four-candidate Democratic primary in June.[6][7]
She then defeated Michael Chapman in the general election and took office on January 1, 2024.[8][7]
After taking office, Halton-Pope became the council's majority leader. She was re-elected to that leadership post in January 2026.[1][9]
In April 2026, following Peoples-Stokes's retirement announcement, the Erie County Democratic Committee selected Halton-Pope as the Democratic nominee for the New York State Assembly's 141st district.[4] In announcing her candidacy, Halton-Pope said she had worked with Peoples-Stokes in the state legislature for 11 years.[10]