BUFFALO, N.Y. — Heading into the Republican State Convention, Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro has picked Julie Killian as his running mate.

"I was quite involved with a lot of the discussions on who fit, who had a regional balance, what some of their political skills and their backgrounds and how that fit with the overall politics of the campaign and I think Julie Killian fits a lot of that criteria," Erie County GOP Chair Nick Langworthy said.

Killian has twice ran unsuccessfully for New York State Senate, including the high-profile special election last month. However, Republicans saw those campaigns as a positive as they considered potential lieutenant governor candidates.

"She had to deal with a lot of media, also a great deal of fundraising, a tight, a very aggressive schedule," Langworthy said. "She's going to understand what it's going to be like to be a running mate to a gubernatorial candidate. She's going to put a lot of miles on the car."

"Anything we need to know about her is already known," GOP Analyst Jeff Williams said. "I don't think it will ever be a distraction for him and I think she adds a tremendous amount to the ticket being from Westchester County and having someone from one of the most populous counties in the state is always a plus."

Many expected Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro's running mate to come from Upstate. Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo, who helped lead the search committee, was also seen as a favorite but she withdrew her name from consideration this weekend.

"She may have thought that this wasn't the right time for her to run and I have a feeling that's where she decided to stay and continue her work in Monroe County which I think is a solid sound choice is well," Williams said.

Erie County Republican Committee Chairman Nick Langworthy believes despite not having geographic representation, the message of the Molinaro-Killian ticket will resonate with Upstate voters.