The news that Assemblywoman Jane Corwin (R) donated to Dede Scozzafava's ill-fated 2009 campaign doesn't appear to be dealing a substantial blow yet to her GOP bid in the New York 26th special election.
New York Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long told Hotline On Call that the $1,000 donation to her colleague in Albany was a "bad investment" but didn't think it would cost her support among his party. And on Thursday night, the GOP nominee also got the unanimous backing from the Monroe County Conservative Party after addressing their meeting.
New York Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long told Hotline On Call that the $1,000 donation to her colleague in Albany was a "bad investment" but didn't think it would cost her support among his party. And on Thursday night, the GOP nominee also got the unanimous backing from the Monroe County Conservative Party after addressing their meeting.
Republicans have dismissed Corwin's donation as simply a routine donation to a colleague, and have also pointed out that other high-ranking Republicans, including now-House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor, also gave to Scozzafava before her support collapsed and conservatives began lining up behind Doug Hoffman, who earned the Conservative Party nomination.
With at least two candidates who didn't receive the Republican nod this week weighing independent bids, there are still several factors that have so far prevented a conservative fissure that could hand the Democrats a victory as happened when Bill Owens won the New York-23rd district special election in 2009.
Corwin and state and national Republicans have learned from the mistakes Scozzafava made, and out of the gate she's made every effort to reach out to the state's other ballot lines she needs to consolidate support on the right. The Conservative Party seems ready to endorse her - as it did in her Assembly campaigns - and as she pointed out as she accepted the GOP nomination, the group had named her the 2nd most conservative member in the Assembly.
She launched a district-wide tour this week, and also put out a steady churn of press releases touting her support from influential conservatives, including Tea Party favorite and 2010 gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, along with Tea Party activist and Primary Challenge founder Lenny Roberto. And on Thursday, Corwin also came out with a statement criticizing Pres. Obama's decision to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act, a sign she's trying to further bolster her conservative bona fides. Still, Iraq War veteran David Bellavia, who was passed over for the nomination, seems undeterred and is all but certain to get into the race, even if it's by petitioning onto the ballot by getting the requisite 3,500 signatures. He filed a statement of candidacy on Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission, and he's planning fundraisers within the next 10 days. On the issue of Corwin's donation to Scozzafava, Bellavia spokesman Bill Hagan told Hotline On Call that "people are allowed to donate to everyone that they wish, but that's certainly not a donation that David would make." Much of Bellavia's criticism of Corwin has focused on her abortion stance. While unlike Scozzafava, she does not support later term or partial birth abortion, and has said this week she would have voted to defund Planned Parenthood, she did answer in a 2008 survey that she supported legal abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. Corwin reaffirmed that statement this week, and Erie County Republican Party Chairman Nick Langworthy, who's been a fierce defender of Corwin in the face of Scozzafava comparisons, has pointed out that was the same position former Rep. Chris Lee held as well. Lee abruptly resigned two weeks ago after a report that the married congressman had replied to a personal ad on Craigslist with a shirtless muscle photo. If Bellavia does get on the ballot, his support is likely to come from Tea Party groups and national veterans organizations, including the group he co-founded, Vets for Freedom. Hagan said that Bellavia "has been getting calls from people on other lines, from other organizations, as well as Tea Party organizers over the past few days encouraging him to keep going and wanting to meet with him," including New York Tea Party groups and the Tea Party Express. And Bellavia had hoped to attend the same Monroe County Conservative Party meeting Thursday where Corwin was endorsed, but Hagan said he had first been asked to come, but his invitation was later revoked. Bellavia will meet with New York Conservative State Party Chair next Wednesday in New York City to make his case for their party's ballot line. Jack Davis, who challenged former Rep.Tom Reynolds (R) in both 2004 and 2006 as a Democrat, has also said he's exploring a third party candidacy or even running again as a Democrat after losing the GOP nod. "I will continue working to get on the ballot for the special election. I have pledged allegiance to America, not the Republican or Democratic parties," Davis told the Tonawanda News. Local Democrats began soliciting resumes for candidates this week and have yet to put out a timetable of when they may choose their nominee. But there may not be as much of a rush as originally thought. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has to first recognize the vacancy, and under current law an election would then be held between 30 and 40 days after that occurs. However, on Wednesday the governor offered a proposal reforming the special election law. Under Cuomo's new plan, that time would double to between 70 and 80 days, allowing more time for military and overseas ballots to arrive. The governor has indicated he won't call the special until his new bill is taken up by the legislature.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2011/02/scozzafava-donation-news-not-yet-damaging-corwin-s-bid-25
With at least two candidates who didn't receive the Republican nod this week weighing independent bids, there are still several factors that have so far prevented a conservative fissure that could hand the Democrats a victory as happened when Bill Owens won the New York-23rd district special election in 2009.
Corwin and state and national Republicans have learned from the mistakes Scozzafava made, and out of the gate she's made every effort to reach out to the state's other ballot lines she needs to consolidate support on the right. The Conservative Party seems ready to endorse her - as it did in her Assembly campaigns - and as she pointed out as she accepted the GOP nomination, the group had named her the 2nd most conservative member in the Assembly.
She launched a district-wide tour this week, and also put out a steady churn of press releases touting her support from influential conservatives, including Tea Party favorite and 2010 gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, along with Tea Party activist and Primary Challenge founder Lenny Roberto. And on Thursday, Corwin also came out with a statement criticizing Pres. Obama's decision to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act, a sign she's trying to further bolster her conservative bona fides. Still, Iraq War veteran David Bellavia, who was passed over for the nomination, seems undeterred and is all but certain to get into the race, even if it's by petitioning onto the ballot by getting the requisite 3,500 signatures. He filed a statement of candidacy on Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission, and he's planning fundraisers within the next 10 days. On the issue of Corwin's donation to Scozzafava, Bellavia spokesman Bill Hagan told Hotline On Call that "people are allowed to donate to everyone that they wish, but that's certainly not a donation that David would make." Much of Bellavia's criticism of Corwin has focused on her abortion stance. While unlike Scozzafava, she does not support later term or partial birth abortion, and has said this week she would have voted to defund Planned Parenthood, she did answer in a 2008 survey that she supported legal abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. Corwin reaffirmed that statement this week, and Erie County Republican Party Chairman Nick Langworthy, who's been a fierce defender of Corwin in the face of Scozzafava comparisons, has pointed out that was the same position former Rep. Chris Lee held as well. Lee abruptly resigned two weeks ago after a report that the married congressman had replied to a personal ad on Craigslist with a shirtless muscle photo. If Bellavia does get on the ballot, his support is likely to come from Tea Party groups and national veterans organizations, including the group he co-founded, Vets for Freedom. Hagan said that Bellavia "has been getting calls from people on other lines, from other organizations, as well as Tea Party organizers over the past few days encouraging him to keep going and wanting to meet with him," including New York Tea Party groups and the Tea Party Express. And Bellavia had hoped to attend the same Monroe County Conservative Party meeting Thursday where Corwin was endorsed, but Hagan said he had first been asked to come, but his invitation was later revoked. Bellavia will meet with New York Conservative State Party Chair next Wednesday in New York City to make his case for their party's ballot line. Jack Davis, who challenged former Rep.Tom Reynolds (R) in both 2004 and 2006 as a Democrat, has also said he's exploring a third party candidacy or even running again as a Democrat after losing the GOP nod. "I will continue working to get on the ballot for the special election. I have pledged allegiance to America, not the Republican or Democratic parties," Davis told the Tonawanda News. Local Democrats began soliciting resumes for candidates this week and have yet to put out a timetable of when they may choose their nominee. But there may not be as much of a rush as originally thought. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has to first recognize the vacancy, and under current law an election would then be held between 30 and 40 days after that occurs. However, on Wednesday the governor offered a proposal reforming the special election law. Under Cuomo's new plan, that time would double to between 70 and 80 days, allowing more time for military and overseas ballots to arrive. The governor has indicated he won't call the special until his new bill is taken up by the legislature.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/blogs/hotlineoncall/2011/02/scozzafava-donation-news-not-yet-damaging-corwin-s-bid-25