Upstate Faces Another House Special Election (Updated)
-
- June
- 2
President Obama is reportedly set to name upstate Rep. John McHugh as secretary of the Army, putting another upstate House seat in play this year.
Democrats retained Kristen Gillibrand’s Albany-area seat in a special election in March with the election of Scott Murphy, even though the district had about 70,000 more Republicans than Democrats.
McHugh’s 23rd District seat, which stretches across northern New York, has about 46,000 more Republicans than Democrats. But last year, Obama carried the district 52 percent to 47 percent.
Already there is talk about who would emerge as potential candidates in a special election, likely someone from the state Legislature.
For Democrats the most obvious choice may be Sen. Darrel Aubertine, who won a special election in the region last year to the Senate and then won easily in the general election last year. But Senate Democrats may fight to retain Aubertine to avoid having to defend the seat again next year.
On the Republican side, Assemblywoman Diedre Scozzafava was mentioned, as well as Assemblyman Will Barclay, who lost to Aubertine in the special election in 2008.
McHugh is one of only three Republican House members in New York.
“When you look at his seat, it’s going to be a difficult lose for Republicans in New York, because what has made his seat safe was it was held by John McHugh,” said former Rep. Thomas Reynolds, R-Clarence, Erie County, who was former chairman of the GOP House campaign committee.
Reynolds, however, praised the pick of McHugh.
“The president in reaching out to John McHugh has selected an expert who full well understands what the demands of this generation’s Army is all about,” he said.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 at 9:36 am by Joseph Spector.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
| 
Email This
I think Dede Scozzafava would be ideal. Always she is the voice of common sense and reason. The last thing we need is another democrap in our congress. John McHugh has worked hard for us in the north country; his office was instrumental in helping me overcome some legal red tape and he will be sorely missed no matter who gets elected.
Don’t get too excited. This congressional seat will disappear after the next census. It is a lame duck position. McHugh has been looking for a ‘new career’ for a while now.
Don’s give up any good paying job for this one: it is a dead end.
I think someone we need someone who is locally respected. Mike Backus has become McHugh’s voice in NNY lately and I think he should be seriously considered. Will Barclay and Dede are good people, but they’ve been in the game and have their own problems. Will is a lawyer and Dede is a gay-marriage backing, pro-union thug supporter. I’m not a fan and I think we should take a chance on Mike if he’s willing.
WARNING! – TO NY-GOP, another seat will open up soon and you can lose it again…....
If the NY-GOP picks State Assemblywoman Deirdre Scozzafava (As small buzz is being made) to replace the Congressman…Then this will mean ANOTHER DEFEAT FOR THE GOP!
Assembly members voted 89 to 52 in favor of the bill (A7732).....
Five Sellout Republicans vote and pushed for Gay Marriage…..
(Joel Miller, Janet Duprey, Teresa Sayward, Dierdre Scozzafava, and Fred Thiele).......
Dierdre Scozzafava is a Republican who voted for this bill…...
(Along with four “I stand for nothing” NY-GOP politicians who did not have to vote for this bill coming from areas they represented)
If I was a Dem Consultant – Here is how I would win this congressional race….
I would run a Blue Collar/DINO/Conservative Democrat against a made out to be RINO/Liberal Republican Dierdre Scozzafava …...Conservatives will sit home and the Dem’s will win again.
GOP should not go down this road! Don’t even think about it!
http://gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20314687&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=568864&rfi=6
http://legislativegazette.com/read_more.php?story=3892
Jim Kelly – NY Conservative Campaigns (Now on Facebook)
It looks as though State Assemblywoman Deirdre Scozzafava is more interested in receiving awards down in New York City then in the Adirondacks.
Jim Kelly – NY Conservative Campaigns (Now on Facebook)
WARNING! – TO NY-GOP, another seat will open up soon and you can lose it again…....
If the NY-GOP picks State Assemblywoman Deirdre Scozzafava (As small buzz is being made) to replace the Congressman…Then this will mean ANOTHER DEFEAT FOR THE GOP!
Assembly members voted 89 to 52 in favor of the bill (A7732).....
Five Sellout Republicans vote and pushed for Gay Marriage…..
(Joel Miller, Janet Duprey, Teresa Sayward, Dierdre Scozzafava, and Fred Thiele).......
Dierdre Scozzafava is a Republican who voted for this bill…...
(Along with four “I stand for nothing” NY-GOP politicians who did not have to vote for this bill coming from areas they represented)
If I was a Dem Consultant – Here is how I would win this congressional race….
I would run a Blue Collar/DINO/Conservative Democrat against a made out to be RINO/Liberal Republican Dierdre Scozzafava …...Conservatives will sit home and the Dem’s will win again.
GOP should not go down this road! Don’t even think about it!
Jim Kelly – NY Conservative Campaigns (Now on Facebook)
WPTZ in Plattsburgh (well its really in VT) needs to get their reports out a bit more and less in Burlington VT if they want to cover NY news. The only one mentioning Franklin County DA, Derek Champagne as a candidate to replace McHugh, is Derek Champagne and WPTZ! His political reach ends at the Malone Town line. WPTZ’s whole story misses the two most likely candidates, State Senator Aubertine and McHugh’s Chief-of-Staff, Taub.
The headline isn’t supported by the blog entry, which makes no mention of a primary. Did the headline writer mean “special election” instead of “primary”?
give me a break.plattsburgh is appalaccia…i spent many
summers on lake champlaign….plattsburgh is solid democratic clinton county may be repubican..either way
they are irrelevent