New York: Gore Schiff Will Not Run for Maloney’s Seat
Take Karenna Gore Schiff (D) off the list of potential contenders for Rep. Carolyn Maloney’s (D) seat if Maloney decides to run for Senate next year.
Although Democratic strategists in Washington, D.C., and Manhattan have floated the name of former Vice President Al Gore’s daughter as a possible candidate in recent weeks, a spokeswoman for the Gore family said Monday that the 35-year-old lawyer and author will not be a candidate this time around.
“Karenna Gore Schiff has no plans or intentions to run for Congress at this time,— spokeswoman Kalee Kreider said. “She is working full time on a documentary and as a parent of three young children.—
Even without Gore Schiff, the list of potential contenders is long and growing. It includes several established politicians such as state Sen. Liz Krueger (D), state Assemblymen Jonathan Bing (D) and Michael Gianaris (D), and City Councilmembers Dan Garodnick (D), Eric Gioia (D), Jessica Lappin (D) and Peter Vallone Jr. (D). And according to City Hall newspaper Monday, other possibilities include attorney and former state attorney general candidate Sean Patrick Maloney (D); Meryl Tisch (D), the head of the state Board of Regents; and George McDonald (D), who runs a foundation to help the homeless.
Colleagues Pony Up to Fill Murphy’s Coffers
Rep. Scott Murphy (D), whose special election victory earlier this year was aided by tens of thousands of dollars in contributions from Democratic House Members, continues to benefit from the largess of his new colleagues.
According to Murphy’s latest Federal Election Commission report, Democratic Members contributed at least $26,500 to his campaign between April 21 and June 30 through their political action committees or campaign accounts.
New donors to Murphy included Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.), who contributed $2,500, and Reps. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) and Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), who chipped in $1,000 each. Murphy finished the month with $285,000 in the bank.
Republicans do not have a candidate yet in the upstate 20th district, but they are likely to make Murphy a top target next year.
Parties Playing Game of Chicken in 23rd District
The local Democratic Party chairmen in the 11 counties within the 23rd district announced Monday that they have extended the deadline for candidates interested in running in the special election until Thursday. Republicans may select their nominee Wednesday.
Rep. John McHugh (R) is all but certain to be confirmed as secretary of the Army sometime this summer, and it’s expected that there will be a highly competitive special election to replace him.
State Sen. Darrel Aubertine appears to have the right of first refusal for the Democratic nomination, but he has yet to formally announce whether he will run — even though a local politics blog reported over the weekend that he will be a candidate. An Aubertine spokesman said the Senator is still conferring with his family.
Local Democratic leaders had initially made last Friday the deadline for interested candidates to come forward.
Republican chairmen have been interviewing candidates in a series of public meetings across the vast upstate district and are scheduled to meet Wednesday, though they have not yet decided whether they’ll select their nominee then. State Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava and investment banker Matthew Doheny are seen as the leading contenders for the GOP nomination.
It is possible Democrats will delay their decision — and Aubertine will hold off on his — until after the GOP nominee is known.