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)