Sean Carroll's new blog post has some more news on Democrats.
I'd missed the news that Mike Green is out.
In addition to the name of David Nachbar, Sean has a new rumored lamb to the slaughter: Mary Wilmot. She works for David Paterson and is part of the wealthy Wilmot family, which owns the Wilmorite mall management company.
Both Nachbar and Wilmot can self-finance, to a degree. Other than that, they're unknowns.
Comments
Lamb to the slaughter is right. Can you believe how the world of the 29th has changed in the course of one week?
Reed has a shot at possibly winning by the largest margin in district history.
I think Amo Houghton used to win in the high 70% and one time 96%... That was before Monroe County was in the mix.
The reason why no one is interested is because the district is likely going to be carved up into pieces next year by Albany after the census results are known. We are due to lose one if not two seats in New York and I'm sure because of Massa that our district will be sacrificed even more so than after the last census.
So who would stake their whole career on a job that may only last a term and less than a half? Well, besides Massa, that is. Reed has nothing to lose as he has a law practice he can return to. Nachbar and Wilmot have money to fall back on, but can't see Maggie Brooks or anyone with a safe job leaving to serve a term in the House and then fight in an unknown district, likely against a more established incumbent.
Young Mr. Reed cannot lose, as I always have said. His name ID, by the end of his term, will be incredibly strong and he can succeed George Winner, Baccales, run for a judgeship. He cannot lose.
Since Reed seems such a shoo-in, to an embarrasssing degree, maybe the Dems should try to round up a sort of 'surprise' or at least semi non-traditional candidate, just for the color of the election? I'm not the first to mention Samara Sam Barend. Or maybe some sort of respected media personality (ha ha, is there such a thing these days????). What about the young Mayor of Elmira, in hopes of at least making a credible showing in the Southern Tier? The thing with Barend is that she really did have an energetic following and they knew how to campaign and GOTV, etc. She was only in her mid-twenties at that point and did an incredible job. Then there is, in Corning, a fellow who probably is in his 70s who years ago was an activist: Frank Anasatasio. And here in Steuben a retired--gosh, probably in his 70s too--District Attorney, Larry Bates, who got elected countywide a couple of times, despite being a Democrat. Would Stan Lundine run again, just to prove to voters that we do have "respectable" Democrats out there?
Corning "Leader" is reporting that Brooks is out (no real surprise there). Sure sounds to me as if Tom Reed can start calling himself "Congressman," as he looks into the mirror while shaving!