NY-23: Dem Field Becomes Clearer, Nominee Will Be Selected in August

The Albany Times-Union got its mitts on a list of candidates who have submitted their resumés to the Democratic county chairs in New York’s 23rd District. Here’s the rundown:

  • Andy Bisselle (Essex County): A local YMCA executive director who was recently rebuffed by GOP leaders after he sought the Republican nomination.
  • Stu Brody (Essex County): Attorney, former Essex Co. Democratic Chair, and head of the Democratic Rural Conference from 2002 to 2008. He played a round of golf with Bill Clinton in 2000.
  • Steve Burke (St. Lawrence County): A new name; not much information about him is publicly available right now. Presumably, he is the same Stephen Burke who is the town Democratic chairman of Macomb.
  • Danny Francis (Jefferson County): Vietnam veteran, ’94 nominee against McHugh.
  • Bob Johnson (Jefferson County): Surgeon, ’06 nominee against McHugh.
  • Rudolph Johnson (Franklin County): Some dude.
  • Brian McGrath (Lewis County): NYC attorney, willing to “drop six figures” on a campaign. He’s put $200K into his campaign already and says that he can raise $700K more through his contacts. Sounds like he wants to present himself as the next Scott Murphy.
  • David Ryan (Franklin County): Another dude.
  • John Sullivan, Jr. (Oswego County): The former head of the state Attorney General’s Watertown office and ex-Oswego mayor.
  • Michael Oot (Madison County): Attorney, ’08 nominee against McHugh.
  • Bill Owens (Clinton County): A Plattsburgh attorney and registered independent. A “national Democratic source” recently told the New York Daily News’ Elizabeth Benjamin that “everybody is talking about this guy Owens, saying he’s the best of what’s left”.

One of the few remaining Democratic state legislators in the district who had yet to declare her intentions, Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell, announced yesterday that she won’t be a candidate. (Understandably, being eight months pregnant, a special election would be awkwardly-timed for her.) Former US Attorney and Dan Moynihan aide Dan French has also pulled his name from consideration.

We’re definitely left with a dog’s breakfast here. The 11 Democratic chairs will interview each candidate at Syracuse University on August 10th, and will announce their selection that evening.

RaceTracker Wiki: NY-23

22 thoughts on “NY-23: Dem Field Becomes Clearer, Nominee Will Be Selected in August”

  1. Regardless of who we pick, i’m most interested in who the Conservative Party nominates.  With the Independence Party endorsing the Republican, we need the conservative vote to be split in the election.

    Well, worse case scenario we get a pro-gay, pro-union, pro-choice Republican.  That’s better than some conservative Democrats.

  2. is impressively male – eleven out of eleven.  

    You see that pretty often in special elections (although it’s hard to say if it’s really any more skewed than regular elections).  Maybe the category of “random people who apparently think they’re qualified to throw their hat in the ring” is the kind of category that skews male.

  3. Obviously that isn’t particularly feasible at this time.  Although it might have been feasible for her to run for the State Senate if Aubertine has run and won the Congressional seat.

    Hopefully Addie Russell seriously considers running in 2010.

  4. Would be interesting if they picked the indie or the repub for this race, though.

  5. it was Republicans jobs to totally miss out on an oppertunity by not getting anyone of any notice in a race!

    Im just kidding (kinda). Of course I still think the Dems have a good shot at this race, though I think with the way things have been turning out the seat has gone from being yet another Republican loss to a slight lean towards staying GOP.

  6. Sullivan or Owens would be best, but I doubt we win this no matter who we pick.  Aubertine or French were likely our two best shots.

  7. According to his resume, Mr. McGrath registered as a Republican at the age of 18 and then changed his party affiliation to Democrat in 2006. He is now a “strong financial supporter of Democratic candidates and progressive causes,” it states.

    That can’t bode well, however, he apparently has one chairman’s endorsement already —>

    Not surprisingly, Mr. McGrath has the endorsement of Lewis County Democratic Chairman Edward M. Murphy.

    I don’t know where James got the 700K figure but the article says he has a plan to raise over 1,000K.  

    Either way I suppose I’m leaning toward McG

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