NY-13: Brooklyn GOP “Upset and Disgusted” With Frank Powers

Oh this is good.

Last night we brought the news to you that the Staten Island GOP selected Frank Powers, a long-toothed local party supporter with no electoral experience to run in Vito Fossella’s place this November. Presumably, Powers’ personal wealth played heavily in the decision. One GOP source told the Staten Island Advance that Powers plans to spend $500K from his own pockets, and raise the same amount. I guess with the NRCC as broke as it is, a self-funder does have some allure.

But all is clearly not well in GOPville. Brooklyn Republicans, who endorsed Conservative Party member Paul Atanasio last week, are miffed and dismayed with the selection of Powers:

The Democrats’ pick, Councilman Mike McMahon, is “formidable,” [Brooklyn GOP Chair Craig] Eaton said, and he’s not sure about Powers because the two have never met. That is part of the problem.

“I’m getting a lot of calls from district leaders who are very, very upset,” Eaton said. “I’m upset and digusted. Until yesterday at 3 p.m., I had never heard (of Powers).

“This is the only congressional seat in the [city] of New York that the Republican Party has,” Eaton continued. “They had three weeks to come up with a viable candidate. After three weeks, for someone to come in at the last minute and become the candidate kind of concerns me.”

Eaton went on to add that it’s “possible, but not probable” that the Brooklyn GOP might throw its backing behind Atanasio in a primary. Whatever the case, Brooklyn Republicans clearly think the situation stinks. Me? I’m lovin’ it.

12 thoughts on “NY-13: Brooklyn GOP “Upset and Disgusted” With Frank Powers”

  1. Advance;


    But Dr. Jamshad Wyne, who interviewed with the party last night even though he’d said he was pulling out of the race last weekend, objected to the Powers pick.

    He left the convention before the final vote was taken, saying he would support McMahon in the race.

    “I like Frank Powers,” he said. “But I think Mike is a better candidate. We should be willing to cross party lines to support the best candidate.”

    Dr. Wyne said he did not know how his support of McMahon would affect his position as borough GOP finance chair.

  2. Love it! An implosion here at the national level would be nice to help turn the Northeast (got it right this time) a nice, deep shade of blue.  

  3. A divided party that hates it’s candidates. Could it get any better?

    Time to move this to Likely Democratic.

  4. More than anything else, the GOP’s failure to find even a second tier talent for this seat demonstrates the collapse of the NY and national Republican party.  Even though the NRCC probably told the top guys — Donovan, Oddo, Lanza — that it would not be able to heavily bankroll them, I am still surprised a better nominee could not be found.  

    I guess our hope now is that we see the Brooklyn party put up a rival nominee, and they spend the summer squabbling.  Or perhaps even better, maybe Vito decides to jump back in!  

  5. was supposed to hurt dems in NY this year?  Uhhh… not so much.  Governor Paterson has an approval of around 60% and has already proven that he’s a more progressive Governor than Spitzer ever would have been.  Republicans can’t even get 3rd-tier candidates to run in NY-13,25,26 districts (nutter Kuhl is also going down in the 29th district)and will probably lose control of their last bit of power- the state senate.

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