In Replacing McHugh, Republicans Look To Learn Lessons From Tedisco Loss
Local activists, Conservatives and national GOP collide in search for nominee to retain seat
Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:58:00
As the New York Republican delegation in Congress loses members—seven in the last seven years alone—a series of interlocking disputes have emerged with nearly every open seat: the Conservatives pick their candidate. The D.C. Republicans have another. The local party pushes back against both.
Now that President Obama has chosen Rep. John McHugh as his army secretary, Republicans are gearing up for another round.
“My concern is if we—we being the chair-people of this district—if we do come up with the man or woman who we feel is the best, are we going to be left alone, or are we going to be hammered by the folks in Washington to tell us how to run this campaign?” said Sam Villanti, chair of the Lewis County Republicans. “I realize they’re playing for big stakes there in Washington, so I don’t know how much they’re going to leave us alone.”
The stakes are, in fact, higher than ever. Republicans are down to just two congressional seats in New York aside from McHugh’s. Some Republicans worry about being further marginalized in the state if they continue to hemorrhage members.
Democrats have largely coalesced around the man they see as their most formidable candidate, State Sen. Darrel Aubertine (D-Jefferson/Oswego/St. Lawrence). Aubertine has expressed interest in the seat, and has already received the endorsement of the Independence Party. However, if he chooses to remain in the State Senate despite the ongoing problems in the chamber, there are several Democrats lined up to step in his place, including Daniel French, a former assistant attorney general, and John Sullivan, who headed the attorney general’s Watertown office until 2008.
The Republicans’ candidate search has been much murkier, and local GOP leaders are determined not to repeat the process that made Assembly Member James Tedisco (R-Schenectady/Saratoga) the candidate against Scott Murphy for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s old House seat, when the state chair muscled several county chairs.
“With the 20th, it was more of a coronation,” said Franklin County Republican Chair Jim Ellis, who has been coordinating most of the selection process on the local level. “I think we missed the boat by not having the debates. We missed the opportunity to get people more excited about the candidate.”
The sprawling 23rd congressional district takes in all or part of 11 counties, with strikingly diverse demographic profiles. Some are almost exclusively farmland, while others contain at least mid-sized urban centers, such as Plattsburgh. That, GOP leaders say, will make an inclusive selection process more difficult but also more important, as the party works to avoid intra-party squabbling over the final choice.
They have some time, however, with McHugh’s Senate confirmation hearings still at least a few months down the line. In the meantime, local GOP leaders are drawing up plans for a clearly defined selection process that they expect will begin by the end of June, with at least four public endorsement meetings scheduled throughout the district. The meetings will include question-and-answer sessions and possibly even full-fledged debates, according to the county chairs, though the details have not been finalized.
The candidates, meanwhile, have been gearing up to participate in that process. Assembly Member Dede Scozzafava (R-Oswego/St. Lawrence/Jefferson) and Assembly Member Will Barclay (R-Onondaga/Oswego) have already started preliminary campaigning. Each has called local Republican chairs to express interest in the seat and participate in the selection process.
Matthew Doheny, a businessman and newcomer to the district who could partially self-finance his campaign, has also had informal conversations about running. Brendan Quinn, a GOP political operative and former executive director of the Republican State Senate Campaign Committee, has been introducing Doheny to key GOP leaders in the district.
Barclay has his own set of drawbacks, including his loss to Aubertine in last year’s State Senate special election, which flipped a crucial seat. Republicans may be afraid to run Barclay in what is likely to be a hotly contested congressional election, especially if the race proves a rematch against Aubertine.
Most observers agree that one of the strongest potential candidates is Scozzafava, a longtime member of the Assembly who is widely regarded as a competent and personable legislator. She would also appeal to women voters who make up a key part of the Democrats’ base.
Scozzafava is socially liberal, which puts her in the mainstream of a district that is seen as politically moderate.
But Scozzafava’s positions on social issues have made her a controversial figure. She is pro-choice, and voted in favor of gay marriage this year. Even some of her potential Democratic opponents, such as Aubertine, are considered more conservative.
That could imperil Scozzafava’s bid for the Conservative line, which has proven crucial in North Country elections. Conservative Party Chair Mike Long said in an interview that anyone who has voted in favor of gay marriage would be a “non-starter” for him.
And while Scozzafava might appeal to a wider swath of voters, Republicans fear that nominating her could trigger an unwelcome battle with the Conservatives, who could back their own candidate and possibly split the vote.
“I don’t really think it serves either party well to be split on this,” said Hamilton County Republican Chair William Farber. “I think we have to work with the Conservatives to select a candidate.”
Farber added that local Republicans have struggled over whether to make social issues the deciding factor in their selection process, given the state of the beleaguered North Country economy. He said that a candidate with liberal stances on gay marriage or abortion could be forgiven if he or she could ease voters’ financial concerns—even if those social positions are at odds with the Conservative Party platform.
“I think that people are generally in somewhat of a quandary over where to put the highest emphasis,” he said. “I personally think that, because of the way upstate New York has struggled economically, that those kinds of issues are going to be most important.”
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ABOVE: With Rep. John McHugh, right, leaving to become Army secretary, various forces are lining up in the anticipated special election for his seat.
Now that President Obama has chosen Rep. John McHugh as his army secretary, Republicans are gearing up for another round.
“My concern is if we—we being the chair-people of this district—if we do come up with the man or woman who we feel is the best, are we going to be left alone, or are we going to be hammered by the folks in Washington to tell us how to run this campaign?” said Sam Villanti, chair of the Lewis County Republicans. “I realize they’re playing for big stakes there in Washington, so I don’t know how much they’re going to leave us alone.”The stakes are, in fact, higher than ever. Republicans are down to just two congressional seats in New York aside from McHugh’s. Some Republicans worry about being further marginalized in the state if they continue to hemorrhage members.
Democrats have largely coalesced around the man they see as their most formidable candidate, State Sen. Darrel Aubertine (D-Jefferson/Oswego/St. Lawrence). Aubertine has expressed interest in the seat, and has already received the endorsement of the Independence Party. However, if he chooses to remain in the State Senate despite the ongoing problems in the chamber, there are several Democrats lined up to step in his place, including Daniel French, a former assistant attorney general, and John Sullivan, who headed the attorney general’s Watertown office until 2008.
The Republicans’ candidate search has been much murkier, and local GOP leaders are determined not to repeat the process that made Assembly Member James Tedisco (R-Schenectady/Saratoga) the candidate against Scott Murphy for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s old House seat, when the state chair muscled several county chairs.
“With the 20th, it was more of a coronation,” said Franklin County Republican Chair Jim Ellis, who has been coordinating most of the selection process on the local level. “I think we missed the boat by not having the debates. We missed the opportunity to get people more excited about the candidate.”
The sprawling 23rd congressional district takes in all or part of 11 counties, with strikingly diverse demographic profiles. Some are almost exclusively farmland, while others contain at least mid-sized urban centers, such as Plattsburgh. That, GOP leaders say, will make an inclusive selection process more difficult but also more important, as the party works to avoid intra-party squabbling over the final choice.
They have some time, however, with McHugh’s Senate confirmation hearings still at least a few months down the line. In the meantime, local GOP leaders are drawing up plans for a clearly defined selection process that they expect will begin by the end of June, with at least four public endorsement meetings scheduled throughout the district. The meetings will include question-and-answer sessions and possibly even full-fledged debates, according to the county chairs, though the details have not been finalized.
The candidates, meanwhile, have been gearing up to participate in that process. Assembly Member Dede Scozzafava (R-Oswego/St. Lawrence/Jefferson) and Assembly Member Will Barclay (R-Onondaga/Oswego) have already started preliminary campaigning. Each has called local Republican chairs to express interest in the seat and participate in the selection process.
Matthew Doheny, a businessman and newcomer to the district who could partially self-finance his campaign, has also had informal conversations about running. Brendan Quinn, a GOP political operative and former executive director of the Republican State Senate Campaign Committee, has been introducing Doheny to key GOP leaders in the district.
Barclay has his own set of drawbacks, including his loss to Aubertine in last year’s State Senate special election, which flipped a crucial seat. Republicans may be afraid to run Barclay in what is likely to be a hotly contested congressional election, especially if the race proves a rematch against Aubertine.
Most observers agree that one of the strongest potential candidates is Scozzafava, a longtime member of the Assembly who is widely regarded as a competent and personable legislator. She would also appeal to women voters who make up a key part of the Democrats’ base.
Scozzafava is socially liberal, which puts her in the mainstream of a district that is seen as politically moderate.
But Scozzafava’s positions on social issues have made her a controversial figure. She is pro-choice, and voted in favor of gay marriage this year. Even some of her potential Democratic opponents, such as Aubertine, are considered more conservative.
That could imperil Scozzafava’s bid for the Conservative line, which has proven crucial in North Country elections. Conservative Party Chair Mike Long said in an interview that anyone who has voted in favor of gay marriage would be a “non-starter” for him.
And while Scozzafava might appeal to a wider swath of voters, Republicans fear that nominating her could trigger an unwelcome battle with the Conservatives, who could back their own candidate and possibly split the vote.
“I don’t really think it serves either party well to be split on this,” said Hamilton County Republican Chair William Farber. “I think we have to work with the Conservatives to select a candidate.”
Farber added that local Republicans have struggled over whether to make social issues the deciding factor in their selection process, given the state of the beleaguered North Country economy. He said that a candidate with liberal stances on gay marriage or abortion could be forgiven if he or she could ease voters’ financial concerns—even if those social positions are at odds with the Conservative Party platform.
“I think that people are generally in somewhat of a quandary over where to put the highest emphasis,” he said. “I personally think that, because of the way upstate New York has struggled economically, that those kinds of issues are going to be most important.”
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ABOVE: With Rep. John McHugh, right, leaving to become Army secretary, various forces are lining up in the anticipated special election for his seat.
