Former longtime Erie County district attorney John Flynn left office earlier this year.

"When you leave and it's over, you realize how much stress there was," said Flynn.

What You Need To Know

  •  Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown is in negotiations to become president of Western Regional OTB

  •  Brown would be one in a line of others to leave office early

  • The state Legislature is also seeing a number of lawmakers leaving

Flynn stepped down from his post before his term was up and rejoined the ranks of a private law firm.

"There's no more 3 in the morning phone calls saying that someone got murdered," said Flynn.

Flynn had served the public since he was 22, when he first joined the Navy, up until he recently jumped ship as one of the state's 62 top prosecutors.

"The time to do it is now,” said Flynn. “So, it's all a matter of timing, it's all about what stage you are at in your life.” 

The former DA says it's time to pass the torch.

"I think new eras are good. And new blood is good. And that's what we need in the system,” said Flynn. “There comes a point when you have to recognize you have fulfilled your public service mission.”

Former NY-27 congressman Brian Higgins announced late last year he was leaving office early as well, citing a different political climate than when he first arrived in Washington, D.C.

"Congress is not the same institution I went to 19 years ago,” Higgins said in November 2023. “It is a very different place today. We’re spending more time doing less and the American people aren't being served.” 

Higgins says he didn't go to Congress to change Washington, but to change his community, and is now at the helm of Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo.

“Here’s just a time for change, and I think this is the time and that’s the base of what this decision was. And I think new energy, a new sense of purpose," said Higgins.

Former Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy, under now-former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, also left the administration.

“The governor knew by year two that I was not planning on running for a second term," said Duffy. “I enjoyed it [and] loved what I did. I wanted to come home and do something that I found interesting.” 

As former Rochester mayor and police chief, Duffy had also been in public service for decades but says he really never wanted a career in politics.

He now heads the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and feels he's still making a difference.

“It’s invigorating to do something different,” said Duffy. “Having the background in public service, I’m a public servant at heart. We are here to serve people. We serve our members. We do our best for the region.”

Also, while exact numbers have not been released, latest figures show all three are making more money in their new roles. 

The state Legislature is also seeing a wave of retirements as well, on both sides of the aisle, about a dozen or so, citing the grinding workload as a top reason why.