Eric Massa’s exit gives GOP an opportunity in 29th District
WASHINGTON — Rep. Eric Massa’s decision to resign his 29th Congressional District seat gives New York Democrats a new political crisis to address — the third in less than two weeks.
But unlike scandals involving Gov. David Paterson and Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel, Massa’s exit improves Republicans’ chances of winning an election.
Paterson’s decision not to run in November, following reports he intervened in a domestic-abuse case involving a close aide, cleared the way for state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to head a stronger statewide Democratic ticket.
Rangel stepped down as chairman of the influential Ways and Means Committee after he was admonished for taking a Caribbean trip financed with corporate donations. But even if the 79-year-old Harlem Democrat retires, his congressional district is so overwhelmingly Democratic that the party primary will effectively determine the winner of the November election.
Massa’s seat is a different case.
The advantage of incumbency he enjoyed in the November election doesn’t exist anymore for Democrats since Massa announced Friday he will resign effective Monday because of a recurrence of cancer. He’s also under investigation by the House ethics committee.
Even before those developments, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had listed Massa’s district as one of its 42 “frontline” races that merit special assistance from the committee.
At this point, “I’ve got to believe that the odds-on favorite would be whoever the Republican would be,” said Canisius College political scientist Kevin Hardwick.
But Monroe County Democratic Party chairman Joseph Morelle said Saturday that Democrats are ready to fight to retain the seat.
“While the conventional wisdom seems to be that this seat is going to go back into Republican hands,” Morelle said, “I remain very confident that Democrats can retain the seat, and we’re going to work very hard to make sure that’s the case.”
Morelle said he approached Monroe County District Attorney Michael Green on Saturday about running for the seat.
“I think Mike has enormous integrity,” Morelle said. “I think he’s the type of person we need in Washington.”
Morelle said Green did not indicate whether he would consider a run. A message left on Green’s cell phone was not immediately returned.
The 29th District went for Republican presidential candidate John McCain, 51 percent to 48 percent over Democrat Barack Obama in 2008, while Massa beat Republican Rep. Randy Kuhl, 51 percent to 49 percent. The district covers eight counties in the Southern Tier and western New York from parts of Monroe and Ontario counties to the north to all of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben and Yates counties.
Because the race could become a toss-up, it’s generating interest from members of both parties.
Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report, said he’s waiting to see which candidates emerge before rating the race. But he doesn’t rule out a Democrat winning, given that the election is still eight months away.
Republican candidate Tom Reed, an attorney and former mayor of Corning, has been campaigning around the district for months. He appears to have the GOP nomination sewn up.
Officials at the National Republican Congressional Committee said they are standing by to support Reed.
“We’ve always been impressed by Tom Reed,” said spokesman Tory Mazzola.
In a few congressional districts, the NRCC has backed a second GOP candidate prior to a primary, Mazzola said.
Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, a Republican, is considering entering the race now that Massa is out. She’s expected to announce a decision this week, according to a spokesman.
Monroe County GOP chairman Bill Reilich, a state assemblyman, said other Republicans who may be interested in running are waiting until Brooks makes her announcement.
“They understand that if she were to enter, she would definitely be the front-runner,” Reilich said.
Possible candidates on the Democratic side include Elmira Mayor John Tonello; Hornell Mayor Shawn Hogan, who also chairs the Steuben County Democratic Party; Canandaigua Mayor Ellen Polimeni; state Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton of Ithaca; state Assemblyman David Koon of Perinton and state Assemblywoman Susan John of Rochester.
Includes reporting by staff writer Ashwin Verghese and Gannett Albany Bureau chief Joseph Spector.
