FREDONIA - The newly formed New York Whig Party announced that Erik Barkley of Fredonia has been confirmed as the Acting Chautauqua County Coordinator. Erik is the Head Athletic Trainer at SUNY Fredonia. He will be assisted by John H. Harris of Jamestown.

New York's 27th Congressional District includes all of Chautauqua County as well as a large portion of the city of Buffalo, most of the eastern and southern suburban localities within Erie County, and in Western New York. The last Whig to represent the district was William A. Sackett who served from March 4, 1849 to March 3, 1853.

The modern Whig Party of New York is affiliated with the national Modern Whig Party, a mainstream national political movement initially revived by post-9/11 veterans and now populated by voters of all political stripes. NY Whigs are aggressively building a network throughout New York, and intend on being a presence in the 2010 elections and beyond.

Established in 1833, the Whigs are one of America's oldest mainstream political parties. They were the original party of Abraham Lincoln and four other U.S. Presidents, including central New York-born Millard Fillmore, the last sitting Whig President.

Revived by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, this grassroots movement has quickly attracted tens of thousands of members. They represent moderate voters from all walks of life that cherry-pick between traditional Democratic and Republican ideals in what has been called the Modern Whig Philosophy.