Brooks to run for Walsh’s seat?
From James Lawrence:
…there’s already speculation about who will seek the Republican nomination to replace Walsh. Interestingly , but not surprisingly, according to New York City political pundits, Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks is among possible contenders. Stay tuned.
I’m skeptical for two reasons: (1) the center of gravity in NY-25 is Onondaga County, not Monroe County and (2) the Republican candidate will be an underdog, given the Democratic nature of the district (it has a Cook PVI of +3.4 Democratic). I think Bill Fitzpatrick, the Onondaga County DA, is a better bet.
Update: The always fabulous Liz Benjamin has a more comprehensive list of contenders plus the rumor that Syracuse mayor Matt Driscoll may run (as a Democrat) — something we wrote about a few months ago, but have no real reason to believe (we were saying the same thing about the Walsh retirement rumors til yesterday, though):
- Onondaga County DA Bill Fitzpatrick.
- Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks.
- Former Syracuse City Councilman Rick Guy.
- Current Councilman Ryan McMahon.
- Former Onondaga County Legislative Chairman Dale Sweetland (defeated in last fall’s county executive primary by fellow Republican Joanie Mahoney).
Other names that have been tossed around as potential GOP contenders:
- Former Assemblyman Jeff Brown (lost a challenge to Sen. Dave Valesky).
- Tom Dadey (remained in 2004 three-way race on Conservative line after losing GOP primary, costing the Senate Republicans the seat once held by Nancy Larraine Hoffmann, allowing Valesky to win. He tried to run again in 2006, but claims he was threatened and intimidated by aides to Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and subsequently lost his job, causing him to sue).
- Hoffmann (a perennial mention for any local openings, briefly ran for LG in 2006).
- Former State Fair Director Peter Cappuccilli.
- Onondaga County Comptroller Bob Antonacci.
UPDATE: Another Syracuse-area politics watcher wrote in to say:
“You better put Matt Driscoll, Mayor of Syracuse, up on your list for potential candidates for the Walsh seat. He’s term limited and passed up running for Onondaga County Exec. The Dems owe him (for being a team player and not running when there was a split in the party) and they aren’t going to let Maffei run for an open seat. Driscoll is the front runner.”
I really doubt Ms. Brooks would even consider it, let alone run. She hasn’t got enough name recognition in the district. I think if she were to run at all it would be for Louise Slaughter’s seat if/when she finally retires and from what I’ve read, David Koon is next in line on the Democratic side.
She won’t run for Louise’s seat — it’s solidly Democratic. Anyone of us here (assuming we’re all Democrats) would beat her in a head-to-head race for that seat.
The seat may get cut up in 2012 which would change things. But for now — no way Maggie runs for it.
koon is in kuhl’s district. now that is gerrymandering!
As I said, from what I’ve read it’s Koon’s to lose, although eventually the folks in the Niagara Falls and Buffalo area may decide otherwise.
I agree with your point on Maggie. There’s no way she runs for NY-25 as it stands today. She might have a chance when Louise retires and after redistricting, which is going to totally change the picture of CDs in WNY.
As for a Dem primary challenge — hard to see it happening. Maffei has raised too much money. Only a self-financed primary challenger could get it done at this point in the campaign.
Maggie has a small group of cluster flies in Monroe County who think she’s a sweet gal. Outside of that group, she’s nobody. And after FAIR and the lies, she committed political suicide that destroyed any potential future run. By the time the rest of the goods on the gal make it through the courts, no one will want to touch her with with 10 foot pole (except for that same group of cluster flies).
Maybe Minarik will give her a judgeship as a reward for her loyalty. Political suicide? No problem!
[...] realize this is probably the 20th time I’ve used that post title, but given the rumors about Maggie Brooks running for NY-25 (as implausible as they are) this, which just came in over the RT wire seems ominous: Look [...]
Maybe Brooks would run to get away from Minarik? Just playin devils advocate….
You seem to forget she has support amongst the most solid block of voters there is, retirees. Aside from not losing SS benefits their number one concern is keeping property taxes as low as possible, and she has consistently done just that. They don’t care how it’s done, just keep them low.
We’ll see how popular she is when they get their school tax bills. They already feel like they shouldn’t have to pay them because their children are grown and gone. And one she loses the “solid block” they represent, she’s a done deal.
I have to agree with BTP - I see judgeships in her future. It does seem to be the place their somebodies go to when they are altered to nobody statehood.
I think they’ll pool someone from Onandoga County - and they would be wise to. You have to look at where the mass majority of voters is and pick from that pile. To spectulate the it would be anyone from Monroe County would be foolish.
Profile Kuhl and his background and you’ll also see a pattern in replacing people with a similar background. Industrialist to industrialist, lawyer to lawyer and so on. You’ll find that someone who clones Walsh will be the GOP choice, and of course the Dem’s will screw it up with picking an anomoly from afar. They need to think before they act on this one. The prize to the winner is very high on this seat. THINK HARD Democrats, Indies and WFP people - think long and hard on this one.
Koon needs to run against Alesi. Fairport vs. Fairport. And I believe Koon would win this one. While Jimbo is out getting his perm retouched, Dave Koon is getting work done. And Alesi has alot of dirt that can be brought out to insure a solid defeat.
We just need RSRandy to come out and announce his retirement. The world is getting closer to being balanced with the Primary coming up on February 5th, and some of the biggest and best seats in the house up for grabs. It’s good right now to be anything BUT GOP.
[...] spoken with a couple pretty good sources about the possibility of Maggie Brooks running in NY-25. One says no way it happens, the other says it might. Both agree it’s a long shot that she [...]
I’d be surprised to see Koon run against Alesi. They’re both up for election at the same time, so he’d have to give up his Assembly seat to run. Alesi’s district covers all the way to Riga & Chili where Koon isn’t well known.
[...] had talked about Maggie running for Jim Walsh’s seat in the 25th congressional district here. As we said last week Maggie has taken herself out.ÂÂ This week City News had a little blurb which [...]