Matt Driscoll Not Running for Congress
March 7, 2008
It looks like Democrats have settled on a candidate for congress in central New York’s 25th district.
Mayor Matt Driscoll said Friday he will not seek the party’s nomination to succeed retiring Republican Jim Walsh. That clears the way for fellow Democrat Dan Maffei to set his sights on the November election, with no concern about a primary.
With the seat open for the first time in 20 years, Driscoll’s decision gives the Democrats a big jump on party unity.
He broke ground this morning, for the first new building, downtown, since 1992. Mayor Driscoll says this is the kind of progress he wants to see through as mayor for the next 22 months. But Driscoll says most importantly, going to congress would’ve taken a toll on his family.
“I’ve got a daughter and a son who are still in school. Essentially, you get on a plane Monday, you get back on a Friday, and you’d better be ready to be out in the district on the weekend, so that was a big concern of mine.”
The other big concern: avoiding a primary. “I’ve been a member of the Democratic Party for 25 years. And you know, people say a primary can be healthy and such, I’m not convinced that they are. And so while I thought very strongly that I could be successful, at the end of the day, I can’t always make it just about me. So, my family came first and then the party was right there as well.”
Dan Maffei welcomes the mayor’s decision, however. “All along, we’ve been running the same campaign on the same issues. I didn’t slow down one bit before today, I’m not going to slow down one bit after today.”
Diane Dwire, Onondaga County Democratic Chairperson said, “First of all, he has name recognition, visibility from the previous race. But he hasn’t sat still. For the last two years, he’s been continuing to be out and about, people know him, they like him, they’ve had a chance to meet him as a person one on one.”
Dwire’s Democrats have their candidate, while Republicans, Peter Cappuccilli and Randy Wolken will spend the next 7 weeks fighting it out for the GOP nomination. March gladness for Dan Maffei.
“I’m gonna win the designation, I’m going to win the nomination, I’m going to be the next congressman. That’s what the goal’s been all along, and it remains the goal.”
He keeps a pretty good poker face, and won’t say out loud that this was a huge relief, but this is a good day for Maffei. Driscoll’s out, and no other Democrat has expressed any interest in the nomination.
On the Republican side, Peter Cappuccilli says he has agreed to accept the decision of the Republican Committee on April 28th. That’s the day they will designate a candidate. Cappuccilli says he will not wage a primary campaign if the committee chooses Wolken. Randy Wolken tells us he has made no such agreement. Not that he’s already decided on a primary, but he’s keeping his options open.
Democrats will formally designate Dan Maffei on May 15th.
Source: WSYR9
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