NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Prior to a Western New York fundraiser for his gubernatorial campaign Wednesday, Republican candidate Marc Molinaro made a stop in Niagara Falls to participate in the grand opening for the Niagara County Republican Committee's new headquarters.

"I've been thrilled with the support out of Western New York and of course Erie and Niagara counties have been really helpful," he said.

Former Governor George Pataki also released a fundraising letter this week ahead of Thursday's reporting deadline. Despite the efforts, Molinaro had no interest in specifically discussing his campaign's financial health.

"I've never always been the person who raises more than anyone else but we'll raise enough to compete and we'll raise enough to win," he said.

What he would say was his coffers will not match those of incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo. He called his opponent's war chest "obscene" and said Cuomo came by much of it at that the expense of taxpayers, evidenced by the recent testimony and closing arguments in the Buffalo Billion trial.

"Regardless of the outcome, the message is still the same, that the rules and the system is rigged against average taxpayers and this state and this governor continues to take money out of taxpayers pockets and give it to political contributors," Molinaro said.

Meanwhile, Cuomo is calling for the state Senate to reconvene in order to pass legislation aimed at strengthening abortion laws following the president's nomination of another conservative Supreme Court justice. Republican Rob Ortt said it's a bad idea.

"We're not coming back. If the governor wanted us back, he'd call us back," Ortt said. "He's not calling us back because this isn't about governing. This isn't about Roe v. Wade, about policy. This is about winning elections. He's trying to use this issue to strike fear in the hearts of pro-choicers across the state."

Molinaro also called it a scare tactic and says he believes in the precedent regarding abortion is already established. He pointed out there is consensus and laws in New York providing women the right to choose.

"What concerns me is this rapid push to the extreme left where late-term on-demand abortion is almost acceptable," he said.