Dem Leaders Seek to Avoid Bruising Primary Fight in Western New York
June 10, 2008
Much like many national Democrats pressed to settle the bitter presidential nominating battle, the chairs of the Democratic county committees in western New York’s 26th District are calling on fellow Democrats to avoid a bruising primary and line up behind their endorsed candidate, Iraq War veteran Jon Powers.
Powers, who is running for the seat of retiring Republican Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds , made his own pitch Tuesday at a press conference for Democrats to unit behind him. Meanwhile at a separate press conference, businessman Jack Davis, a self-funding candidate who lost to Reynolds in the last two elections, asked his primary opponents to agree not to take special interest money.
They are two of the four candidates competing in the Sept. 9 primary to be the Democratic choice to run for Reynold’s seat, which the party is heavily targeting in the 2008 election. But Democratic hopes for success have been complicated by a potentially costly primary contest.
The other two Democratic hopefuls are Buffalo lawyer Alice J. Kryzan and Erie County legislator Kathy Konst.
During his press conference in Buffalo, Powers and Len Lenihan, chairman of the Erie County Democratic Party, called on Democrats to unite behind Powers just as the national party has united behind presumed presidential nominee Barack Obama . Powers also obliquely asked his primary opponents to drop their campaigns for the seat, as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton dropped her bid for the presidency on Saturday.
“Fellow New Yorkers, it is time to follow Sen. Clinton’s lead,” he said.
Democrats should follow Clinton’s example of “bringing us together, to work together … so there is no Democratic infighting, because we need to work together to reverse the failed policies of the Bush administration,” Powers said.
The chairs of the seven Democratic county committees issued a joint statement underscoring Powers’ plea. “We need to unite behind one candidate to put our strongest foot forward in electing a Democrat to represent Western New York families in Congress,” they said.
Davis, meanwhile, repeated his call for all the Democrats to refuse donations from political action committees, special interest groups or lobbyists as he himself has pledged and as Obama has instructed the national party to do.
“If Senator Obama and Senator McCain can reject special interest cash, why can’t we all do the same?” he asked.
Davis has said he will put $3 million of his own money into the campaign. As of March 31, the date of the most recent campaign finance report, Davis did not have any cash on hand, but will be able to put money in to his campaign as needed.
Powers raised $598,000 and had $402,000 while Kryzan reported raising $288,000 and had $206,000 on hand by the same date. Konst announced she was entering the race last week and will not file a campaign finance report until next quarter.
However, there was little sign that Powers’ opponents were of a mind to heed his call or that of the county chairmen.
Source: CQ Politics Read the complete article here
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