Back in April, former GOP Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco said that he wasn’t planning on seeking a rematch against Democratic Rep. Scott Murphy, but today he’s singing a different tune. From the Glens Falls Post-Star:
Republican James Tedisco said Thursday he has been meeting with county GOP chairmen in the 20th District to discuss a possible rematch next year against U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy, D-Glens Falls.
“I enjoy being a public servant and I’m looking at the atmosphere now,” said Tedisco, a state Assemblyman from Glenville. “And it certainly has changed since when I ran for congressman in the short eight week election.” […]
Tedisco said in a telephone interview that he has been meeting with the 10 county chairmen to analyze mistakes his campaign made in the special election and to discuss how the mood of the country may be changing.
“I think I’ve met or talked with all of them,” he said.
Elizabeth Benjamin has a lot more; apparently, losing the open seat race and also getting booted, literally, to the back row of the GOP Assembly caucus has left Jimmy T nothing short of morose over the past several months. Eager to redeem himself, he’s looking at a second chance against Murphy or a possible run for the state Senate if Republican Hugh Farley retires next year. If Tedisco passes, Benjamin also identifies John Faso, another former Assembly Minority Leader who lost to Eliot Spitzer in 2006, as a potential recruit.
If Republicans are going to nominate somebody with more grativas than a sack of potatoes, Scott Murphy couldn’t complain too badly with the prospect of beating up on Tedisco again.
RaceTracker Wiki: NY-20
His campaign was an epic fail. I think its time to let someone new come in, like Sen. Betty Little to try.
What did Tedisco’s campaign do wrong? I seem to remember his most publicized mistake was waiting a very long time to give his position on the stimulus bill. People seemed to think that his campaign wasn’t run well. How much of his loss was due to the Democratic Party doing well nationally at the time of the election?
I hope he gets it. Then Murphy will have a shot even if everything goes horribly wrong for us in every other marginal district. He’s just the sort of Albany scumbucket that the rest of New York loves to hate.
To be honest, I still think NY-24 has a better chance of flipping, though I’m not crying too hard about the prospect of losing Arcuri, and that seat can always be eliminated in redistricting.