BUFFALO, N.Y. -- After months of debates and campaigning, the first official contests of the 2016 Presidential race are just around the corner. The Iowa caucuses are Feb. 1, and the New Hampshire primary is Feb. 9.
"By probably the second week in February, third week in February, you can pretty well say that the fat lady's singing and it's over," said Carl Paladino.
Paladino, a Buffalo politician and real estate developer, believes strongly that Donald Trump will separate himself from the Republican pack in the next few weeks.
"It's time to try something new, something else and I think that's what the American people want. They want real leadership. They want somebody that's going to keep their promises."
Paladino's confidence in a Trump victory isn't keeping him from campaigning hard for the New York City mogul. Along with Western New York assemblymen Bill Nojay and David DiPietro, he is organizing bus trips from Rochester and Buffalo to campaign in New Hampshire on Feb. 4.
"When you're running a campaign you just can't get enough help, especially when you want to canvass neighborhoods and speak eyeball to eyeball with someone," Paladino said.
"We're in regular contact with the Trump campaign so they're looking forward to our being there. We're going to show the colors that New York state supports the home team," said Nojay, R-Pittsford.
Nojay says they're going through a list of several thousand Trump supporters to see who would be willing to go.
"I will be in New Hampshire. I'll be going door-to-door and pounding lawn signs and doing all those things that campaigns are made of," Nojay said.
Volunteers will also be manning phone banks and working at campaign events. Meanwhile, Paladino says he'll be doing his part from Buffalo.
"Right now. I'm so busy that I'm having trouble tying my shoes in the morning so it's very unlikely I'm going to be there for that."
Paladino says his contributions to the Trump campaign have primarily been his time and energy. He says Trump's people have not solicited any money from him, although he has spent some on things like signs and partially covering the costs of the buses.