More bad news for the GOP:
Republican leaders say that Mr. Powers campaign had collected about 1,500 signatures on Mr. Powers’s petitions. If there are more than the required 1,250, Mr. Powers’s committee on vacancy would be able to name a candidate to take his place on the ballot. That committee is controlled by party officials.
When we last check in with the Staten Island GOP, they claimed to have gathered “close to 2,000 signatures” for Powers before his passing eight days ago. 1,500 may be more than they need for a ballot slot, but it’s too close for comfort — way too close — to withstand a legal challenge.
What are the GOP’s options? There’s Jamshad Wyne, an unpopular physician and Staten Island GOP treasurer who endorsed Democrat Mike McMahon back in May. Wyne has gathered 2,000 signatures so far.
There’s also Carmine Morano, a businessman and the endorsed candidate of the Independence Party, who is willing to run on the GOP line, and Brooklyn Conservative Party member Paul Atanasio, who is favored by the Brooklyn GOP but is not being embraced so far by Staten Republicans.
So when will the GOP make up their mind, with the state’s July 10th filing deadline looming? Not anytime soon, according to former Rep. Guy Molinari:
Whatever decision party leaders make, it will have to come soon. Although they are calling one another and discussing the matter, no meeting of elected officials has taken place and none is planned.
“It’s mystifying,” said Guy V. Molinari, the former Staten Island borough president and unofficial dean of the island’s Republican leaders. “I’ve made scores of phone calls and asked the elected officials to convene to discuss potential candidates. But there is no meeting scheduled at this time and I don’t know if we’ll hold one. Someone needs to clue me in as to what’s really going on.”
This race is shaping up to end with a whimper — not a bang.
I wonder if they will just let the deadline pass. It will be cheaper than campaigning and losing.
That is far less than the nearly 2,000 we heard before. And that is no margin to rest your hat on. You’re almost guaranteed to lose a signature challenge. Unless their strategy is to challenge the whole ballot collection law in court and to have a federal judge make an exception for them.
Getting 4,000 signatures isn’t THAT hard. If someone was really well organized and was given the necessary manpower you might be able to safely do that in two days. I’m not getting the impression any of these guys are well organized. Except maybe poor unloved Jamshad.
That that homophobic fuck Molinari apparently is incapable of lighting a fire under anyone these days. It’s almost as though no one in the Staten Island GOP wants responsibility for this utter cockup anymore and they’re all just praying for the bad dream to be end soon.
the godfather of the staten island gop can’t figure out what’s going on with his own party. my prediction at this point – paul atanasio will be the GOP candidate. at least he’s italian. i like what molinari said about him: “I know Paul, I like him,” said Molinari. “He’s indicated to me that he would move to Staten Island if he won. He’s a good guy.”
he’ll move to staten island if he wins!? that question will have to come up at a lot of forums, he can piss off the brooklynites and islanders at the same time.
with the exit of Mr. Fossella, the GOP here seems to have completely imploded.
CQPolitics made this ratings change today based on the disarray in the Republican candidate selection…