| It's no secret that Republicans are in trouble again this year. After victories in 2006, Republicans in congressional seats throughout New York are in trouble.
The New York Times has the story.
Heading into this election cycle, Republican leaders in Washington identified dozens of Congressional seats they believed they could pick up in November's election - some where Democrats narrowly won a first term in 2006, and others where Democrats represent Republican-leaning districts.
But that strategy appears to have run into complications, both in the New York region and in some other parts of the country, as many potential Republican candidates - including public officials and wealthy entrepreneurs - have stayed on the sidelines, despite direct appeals from party leaders.
In some cases, potential candidates see a tough climate for Republicans, largely because of a troubled economy and a protracted war, according to some Republicans.
Some have even started races, only to abandon the effort.
Such examples:
- In the 26th congressional district, up to five Republicans have said they will not run to replace Reynolds on the Republican line.
- In the 25th congressional district, similar events have taken place. Onondaga County DA Bill Fitzpatrick chose not to run while Peter Cappuccilli declined to run, citing health concerns.
- Here's another example, from this state NY Times piece.
Republicans have also suffered a significant setback in their efforts to defeat Representative John Hall, a freshman Democrat who narrowly won his seat in the suburbs north of New York City in 2006.
At one point, Republican Party leaders had managed to recruit a millionaire who was expected to pour his own money into the race, causing alarm among Democrats. But the candidate, Andrew M. Saul, a vice chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, abruptly quit the race, citing personal reasons. Now, Mr. Hall is running virtually unopposed.
The Republicans are in some trouble this year. They are targeting three freshmen incumbents and hoping to keep these upstate seats that they have had a choke-hold on for years now. That, in itself, is a daunting task. I have stated before that having 26 of the 29 congressional seats after this election is possible. And depending on what happens in NY-13 and NY-23, we could come out with 27 or even 28, although that is a huge stretch at this point. |
