Four challengers for Gillibrand

by: simonstl

Mon Jun 29, 2009 at 12:23:25 PM EDT

This morning's Ithaca Journal looks beyond the Gillibrand-Maloney conversation about next year's Senate primary. They've heard of four likely candidates. I chopped out a lot on Maloney and Tasini because I think people here have heard of them, but there's a lot more in the article:

• Carolyn Maloney. The chairwoman of the Joint Economic Committee and a nine-term House member is within days of announcing she's running...

• Jonathan Tasini. He captured 16 percent of the vote in a 2006 Democratic primary against Clinton and has filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission....

• Suffolk County legislator Jon Cooper. He has formed an exploratory committee and is reaching out to the gay and lesbian community for national financial support in his bid to become the Senate's first openly gay member.

  Cooper said in a telephone interview he raised about $20,000 from two fundraisers this past week. He plans to use his ties as a former member of Obama's national campaign finance committee to raise money. Cooper was the first elected official in the state to endorse Obama.

• Ithaca oral surgeon Scott Noren. He announced his candidacy at the National Press Club in Washington. Noren, a former major in the Army, has never run for elected office.

  A fiscal conservative, Noren said he's a Democratic version of Republican Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, whom he described as "a very intelligent guy." Noren's campaign issues include health care and campaign finance reform.

Why don't a few of these folks peel off to challenge Schumer?

Let's see if we can keep the cross-candidate shooting to a minimum today.

Perennial Candidate Jonathan Tasini Runs for Senate

by: BingChester

Thu Jun 11, 2009 at 12:11:42 PM EDT