| Jon Cooper, the Suffolk County legislator who created an exploratory committee for a possible primary against Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, announced today that he will make his decision at a press conference on December 14.
Cooper made that announcement in an e-mail to supporters today. The e-mail is below:
It's been six months since I launched my exploratory campaign for the U.S. Senate. Since then, I've had the pleasure of meeting with New Yorkers all across our great state. This has given me the opportunity to hear about their concerns and frustrations, as well as their hopes for the future.
Running for the U.S. Senate is obviously a major decision with important consequences. As such, I felt a responsibility not to rush into a decision.
As a friend and supporter, I'm glad to advise you that I'll be announcing my decision at a press conference on Monday, December 14th. More details will be provided as the date approaches.
Thank you very much for your support and please accept my heartfelt wishes for a very happy Thanksgiving!
Best regards,
Jon Cooper
When I interviewed Cooper in September, he made it clear that he wasn't going to rush this decision. In the comments of that post, at least one person brought up that the end of the year seemed to be a bit late. I agree with that, but given Cooper's profile and the fact he is more willing than Jonathan Tasini to actually campaign in New York, making the decision this late in the year is not a huge issue. It's not as if Cooper is starting from scratch here. He is an elected official who does have a base and has a fairly large county (Suffolk) that he could win votes from.
So will he or won't he? We'll find out December 14. The guess for you, the reader, is: Should he or shouldn't he? Should he run and give Gillibrand a challenge? Or should he do the same thing that possible candidates did before and drop out? |
