Chris Collins is expected to announce his candidacy for Erie County executive today.

He will likely become the first candidate nominated by one of the two major parties when the Erie County Republican Executive Committee meets Saturday.

Collins interviewed for the Republican endorsement three weeks ago, and will likely be endorsed by the party’s search committee this week, said Grant Loomis, director of Communications for the Republican Committee.

“(Chairman Jim Domalgaski) will be at Chris Collins’ announcement tomorrow, and we expect Chris will be the choice of the search committee,” Loomis said. “And then it will be up to the 85 members of the executive committee.”

Collins, who lost a race for Congress in 1998 against John LaFalce, said he’ll reserve official announcement for today. But the signals he sent Monday rang loud and clear.

“Erie County needs to get away from the politics of the past,” he said. “A businesslike approach is needed to turn this county around, and there’s a groundswell of need for change.”

Collins is the sole owner of merchant bank Cobblestone Enterprises, which he uses to rehabilitate other area businesses. He conducted the interview Monday from Volland Electric, a Cheektowaga-based company he co-owns and helped save.

“The announcement itself will be an example of the business portfolio Chris has built for himself, which is that when a local company has found itself in trouble or faced with the possibility of closing, Chris could go in, save things, restructure and retain jobs or in some cases rehire people that were let go,” Loomis said.

Collins’ strong experience in the private sector represents the kind of candidate Republicans have been hoping to pit against a cast of Democrats made mostly of elected officials or past county employees.

Of the 609,600 registered voters in Erie County, 172,860 are Republicans. 299,562 are Democrats.

On Sunday, West Seneca supervisor and Democratic hopeful Paul Clark sealed up an important minor party line with an endorsement by the Independence Party.

“After reviewing all of the candidates, we believe Paul Clark is a fresh face to county government and the best choice to lead Erie County and restore its fiscal credibility,” Independence Party Chairman Anthony Orsini said in a release.

The announcement came after a unanimous vote by the party’s search committee at Ilio DiPaolo’s Restaurant in Blasdell.

“I’m honored to receive their endorsement, and I’m pursuing other minor party endorsements,” Clark said. “I’m getting a lot of support, and so far I’m very encouraged.”

Contact reporter Dan Minerat 693-1000, Ext. 115.