GOP In Trouble In Western NY Congressional Races
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- March
- 27
There are more and more reports that Republicans could lose one or both open congressional seats in western New York. The problem is that even though Republicans hold enrollment edges in both the 25th and 26th districts, Republicans are struggling to find strong candidates.
A recent Evans-Novak report put both seats as “leaning Democratic takeover.”
Even Republican Rep. Thomas Reynolds, who announced he is retiring from the 26th District at year’s end, bemoaned the fact he would likely be in the minority if he ran again.
Also, potential GOP candidates are being scared off by the likelihood that in 2010, Democrats would control the state Legislature and redraw congressional districts that take away at least one upstate seat—likely combining the 26th District, which runs from Greece in Monroe County to the Buffalo suburbs, and the 29th District, which runs from Monroe County through the Southern Tier.
In the 25th District, Republicans best hope, former state fair director Peter Cappuccilli, just backed out because of health issues after Republican Rep. James Walsh announced he’s retiring at year’s end. The district covers Syracuse to Webster in Monroe County.
The Evans-Novak report says that “there are murmurs that the National Republican Congressional Committee is giving up on this district to focus on stopping losses elsewhere.”
That’s a likely possibility, considering Walsh, even with this 20 years in Congress, barely won re-election in 2006 against Democratic upstart Dan Maffei, who is running again this year.
In the 26th District, with Reynolds gone, Republicans had hoped that Sen. George Maziarz would run, but he’s sticking with the Senate and second choice Assemblyman Jim Hayes is also out.
That may open the door for Greece Supervisor Jack Auberger to run for the seat, some Republicans said.
So it’s becoming pretty ironic that Rep. Randy Kuhl, R-Hammondsport, Steuben County, (R) could be the next New York Republican to fall. Kuhl was viewed as the weakest of the three GOP incumbents in western New York and barely beat Democrat Eric Massa in 2006, whom Kuhl will face again this year.
Evans-Novak, though has that race “Leaning Republican Retention.”
This entry was posted
on Thursday, March 27th, 2008 at 11:00 am by Joseph Spector.
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Hmmm, Republicans struggling to find strong candidates, even in historically Republican districts. Why does THAT sound familiar?
this election may give the democrats the majority in
congress they need to pass the legislation they want
Republicans in new york seem to be without a message
that resonates with even rural republican new york
voters..we need to address the economic concerns of
those homeowners who are at risk of losing their homes
because of lenders who decided to give them money they
did not in fact qualify for..this is not the fault of
the borrowers the lenders should have said no…
but the commissions were too enticing…everyone was a mortgage broker…but this crisis that we are in needs
government action or it will turn into a depression…
unfortunately john mccain is punting on the issue..he
is making a big mistake…if he wants independents
he will have to come up with the equivalent of the
FDIC for homeowners in adjustable rate situations which
will impact the economy in 2008 and 2009..this is
not a republican or democrat, conservative or liberal
solution..this is an economic reality