What next? In New York’s 13th Congressional District, there’s always something next.
Here’s the first curveball: Just days after word leaked out that disgraced GOP Rep. Vito Fossella was exploring a comeback attempt this fall, Conservative Party nominee Paul Atanasio is dropping out and seeking a judicial nomination:
Brooklyn Conservative chairman Jerry Kassar has told the Advance that congressional candidate Paul Atanasio, who is bailing out of the campaign, will have his name put into nomination for a Brooklyn state Supreme Court judgeship at the party’s judicial nominating convention tonight.
If Atanasio’s nomination is approved, which looks to be a formality, the coveted Conservative line in the race would officially become vacant, with the party’s state executive committee set to make a new endorsement next week.
Could this be the opening that Vito needs in order to get himself back on the ballot? It’s there for the taking, if the Conservative “bigwigs” want to play that game of tiddly winks. Whatever the case, they will most certainly not endorse Republican Bob Straniere:
The Brooklyn party organization has already rejected Democratic candidate Michael McMahon, and Kassar today said, “I don’t see any interest among my members in recommending to the state party that we endorse [GOP candidate] Bob Straniere.”
“That would do nothing for us,” said Kassar. “He hasn’t really put together much of a campaign despite winning the Republican primary.”
And just when things couldn’t get nuttier, defeated GOP primary candidate Jamshad “Jim” Wyne is running as a write-in candidate.
(Tip o’ the cap: NY-13 Blog)
has come to judgment.
Who is (are) coveting the conservative line in the SI election? Vino Vito has other things to covet. He is not falling for this line.
for anyone who knows New York’s political history better than I do: has anyone ever won office, at any level, by running purely on the Conservative party line without also holding the Republican party line? (Or conversely, I’d ask the same about running on the WFP or Liberal line without holding the Democratic line.)
Can the republican nominee still drop out and give Vito the nomination?
..would never happen. This is where it COULD get interesting.
Molinaro would clearly want to give the endorsement to McMahon. He HATES Straniere more than anyone else on Staten Island with the possible except of Donovan. Under state law a Wilson-Pakula waiver can be granted by a governing body that represents more than half of a party. And the Staten Island Conservative Party (which is ruled by an iron fist by Molinaro) could do it over the objection of the smaller Brooklyn party.
Except there was a recent court ruling that allowed the State committee of the Working Families Party to override local organizations (which may have been taken over by people just trying to hijack the ballot line). Michael Long has more love for the Republican Party than Molinaro.
http://www.thealbanyproject.co…
Except there is ANOTHER court ruling in regards to the Independence Party that goes in the opposite direction. While this ruling predates the above ruling it is also a State Supreme Court ruling rather than a Court of Appeals ruling.
http://www.nydailynews.com/blo…
Or in other words if Molinaro and Michael Long disagreed on who to endorse it could create a really big legal mess just weeks before the election.
Chances are it’ll be some other nobody if anyone.