We’ve all seen some pretty crazy turns of events this cycle, but this rumor from The Capitol seems like a bridge too far:
Speculation in Albany has grown that Rep. John McHugh (R-Watertown) will leave his congressional seat this year and instead challenge State Sen. Darrel Aubertine (D-Watertown).
Bipartisan sources have confirmed that the eight term congressman’s name is rising to the top of the list to challenge Aubertine, who won the Senate seat in a special election last month. McHugh held this Senate seat for eight years before going to Congress in 1992. […]
McHugh’s campaign spokesman said his boss was planning to seek another term this year and was unsure where speculation about a State Senate race would have come from. He said McHugh has not given indication of any worry over the redistricting process.
“Having served in the New York State Senate, he has the utmost respect for that body,” McHugh spokesman John Sweeney said. “He has the fullest intention of running for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives again.”
John McHugh? The same guy who is making a bid to be the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee? Even if McHugh is tired of the commute to D.C. only to toil in the minority, why on earth would he want to give up his seat only to toil in the state Senate? Democrats are on pace to pick up the chamber this November, and could quite likely still flip control even if McHugh were to pick off this seat.
Is the NY GOP that desperate? What next? Are they going to recruit Al D’Amato to run for Lt. Governor?
(H/T: The Albany Project)
Not that I think McHugh would be dumb enough to hire him.
He probably sees the writing on the wall in terms of 2010 redistricting controlled by a Democratic trifecta in New York, and isn’t looking forward to the dissolution of his seat and a 2012 collision with, say, Kirsten Gillibrand.
It’s not unprecedented; after Jim Barcia’s seat disappeared in 2002, he voluntarily demoted himself back to the Michigan State Senate. (And McHugh might figure he has at least half a chance of staying in the majority in the NY Senate.)
For several reasons. One is that we are really close to wresting control of the NY State Senate away from the other party, and we need to keep that (and every) seat.
Another is that I’d like to see McHugh lose his seat in Congress in a fair fight, with a Democrat, as the whole delegations turns blue.
Besides, I really like Darrel Aubertine in particular – or at least, the ad campaign that helped him flip that seat. See the best ad here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…
Greg Stumbo went from Attorney General to State Representative in Kentucky (Kentucky’s legislature also includes a former Governor, I believe), so who knows?
It’s pretty obvious that Republicans will not win back control of the US House this fall. Otoh, their margin in the NY State Senate is one seat and they are facing lots of challenges. That’s their sole source of power and Bruno is the second most poweful person in Albany and close to being numero uno based on one lousy seat.
That said, this seems like wishful thinking to me. The gig in DC not only has more prestige, it pays a lot better.
Can Mr. McHugh even stand a chance of beating Senator Aubertine?
It’s a winnable district as soon as the popular Republican incumbent goes away. Aubertine would be a good candidate if he’s successful in the State Senate. New York has 29 Congressional Districts and we have a shot at taking every single one.
Was this a pick up in a special election, an upstate New York Seat represented by a Democrat, fairly rare outside of the big cities and the liberal oasis’, is WAtertown liberal.