A challenger for Massa?
(Note - David Nachbar is in the top right of this group)
This is craziness – Bausch and Lomb exec Dave Nachbar (who lives in Pittsford) may challenge Massa for Democratic nomination of the 29th district. Talk about a fool’s errand.
I’m going to put this simply: No Democrat from the 29th has any chance of winning in the general election if he’s not from down south (Massa, who almost won last time, is from Corning). None. Zero. Zippo. Nil. What a terrible waste of time and energy for a man who, by all accounts, sounds like he has a lot to offer. If he’s willing to move to Steuben County, live there for a few years, and then run, God bless him. But he’ll never win the general election in this district running from up here.
Plus he has no chance against Massa in the primary. But just to be clear: even if Massa weren’t running, I would still think Nachbar was wasting his time, trying to run from up here.
Why not run for County Exec instead? Or State Senator?
We’ll have a lot more about this later, but for now let me leave you with this interesting nugget:
Kuhl said recently he has not decided whether he will seek a third term next year, even though most leaders expect him to run again.
Update: Here’s what a commenter said earlier about Nachbar:
From his days as a championship debater in high school, through his academic accomplishments at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell (where I first met him), to his experience as a world class business leader and civic volunteer, he’s excelled at all levels. This is someone that was invited to the White House by then President Bill Clinton - Dave’s advice and counsel is truly of the highest caliber.
That’s all the more reason he shouldn’t run a race he can’t win. We NEED candidates for Couny Exec and other positions. He sounds like he’d be a great candidate — but not in this race.
Related posts:
29 is a tough district for a Democrat, but I really don’t think it’s unflipable. Massa got within 6,000 votes which is just a slight turning of the breeze. I’m sure Massa can do it, but I don’t know about Nachbar’s chances (mainly because I don’t know very much about him at this point and Massa has an army of supporters ready to pounce).
Lets also not forget that the DCCC didn’t get involved in the 29th (or the 25th) until the 11th hour, this time both Dem Candidates will receive significantly more financial backing.
He’s got to be from down south to win. That’s what I meant.
As much as everyone here knows that I support Massa, I have to agree that of all the local repub distrcits this is by far the most difficult to win.
My point is that it’s that much tougher for a Democrat to win if he’s from Pittsford. There’s a lot of hostility towards the northern part of the district in the south and Pittsford is probably the absolute worst place you can be from for this race. Henrietta would be better, though nowhere in Monroe County is good.
That comment you linked to… It’s kind of interesting that somebody was defending Nachbar on 4/4/07 on a thread which really got discussed from 8/30/06-8/31/06… perhaps they’re reading us too.
You know, it may be good for the process for Nachbar to get involved. But I think he should seriously reconsider whether this is the race he wants to run.
He sounds like a fabulous County Exec candidate.
If he does that — and wins — he could run for Congress in 2012 after the redistricting and more retirements.
If I recall correctly Dave Nachbar thought about running in a primary back in 2004 against Sam Barend. I may be thinking of someone else though. I don’t remember much about him.
I have to agree with Exile on this one: why waste two really good candidates on one race? Especially in the NY29 race, where Massa has plenty of local backing and recognition. Seems like, if we had a bit more leadership in the Monroe County Democratic Party, we might be able to spread candidates out where we needed them. But then, I’m not all that aware of MCDC operations, just that their website is rarely updated.
Didn’t we have another potential candidate for MCE from Pittsford?
Nachbar is the candidate that Louise toted around to Joe Morelle last year and it backfired. Nachbar has not and still is not involved with the Pittsford Dems. He hasn’t been visible like Eric has since the election. Nachbar currently works for Bausch and Lomb but his former employer was St. Paul Companies, one of the nations largest insurers. I can see it now: Kuhl tears him apart for that alone. However, credit where credit is due, I hear he has remarkable human resources and organizational capabilities and would make a wonderful County Exec to compliment the customer-friendly Mayor’s office. Can you imagine it? the County employees are hired based on credentials and capability rather than an slime-ball Minarik handout? I would support a Nachbar County Exec run.
i’ve been working on a story about this for a couple of days now. there’s more here and some of it is ugly. let’s just say that it’s puzzling at a minimum. i’m waiting on some FEC reports right now.
I think you just said it all.
Even if he lives in the backwoods near Corning for a decade, he’ll still always be a snob from Pittsford…
(I’m sure he’s a great guy, but that’s the perception anyways.)
There is indeed much hostility towards Pittsford.
You’re probably right there’s no way to wash of the stench of Pittsford.
What I don’t get is how people can not know that this will hurt him down south. It’s not exactly news that there’s a big divide in this district. Why do so-called professionals like the DCCC and Louise’s people (both of whom must have okayed this) not know this?
Is he right now even a Democrat? I heard he wasn’t. I understand why the DCCC wants him—he will bring his own money.
The Nachbar Negatives…
Today, commenters on this blog and on Rochesterturning have been eviscerating the Nachbar candidacy. I agree. Nachbar’s candidacy, if pursued, will be a disaster for the Democrats in the 29th. I say this knowing only a little bit about Nachbar,……
My point is that I agree completely
[...] of David Nachbar for the NY29 Congressional race over Eric Massa. In case you missed it, here’s a bit from RochesterTurning.com to get you up to speed. I’ve not commented largely because doing so would be a bit [...]
[...] We’ve said before that we believe it woud be very difficult for someone from the northern part of NY-29 to win the district.ÂÂ ÂÂ Fighting29th has a more detailed analysis of why heÂÂ also believes this is true. [...]