Update: Dems Murphy and Douglas won’t seek NY-21 seat
Scott Murphy is out in the NY21 race. Photo: United States Congress
Essex County chair Randy Douglas is out of the NY21 race.
Two of the Democratic Party’s top prospects for a run for the NY-21 House seat are bowing out of the race to replace Plattsburgh Dem Bill Owens.
Essex County board chair Randy Douglas opted out this afternoon.
After careful thought and consideration with his family Town of Jay Supervisor / Essex County Board of Supervisor’s Chairman Randall Douglas has announced his decision not to run for the Congressional Seat in District 21 presently held by Congressman Bill Owens.
Here’s Douglas’s quote:
“It was a tough decision for me”, Douglas said, adding, “at this time, I do not feel that running for this position is in the best interest of my family.”
The news about Scott Murphy, meanwhile, was first reported by Capital New York’s Jimmy Vielkind.
Scott Murphy, a venture capitalist and former upstate congressman, has decided against a bid to succeed retiring Rep. Bill Owens, he confirmed to Capital.
The Democrat, who would have been capable of self-financing a bid, began telling longtime allies and associates that he was waving off a potential run on Monday. Murphy maintains a house in Glens Falls, and represented part of the 12-county 21st District in 2009 and 2010.
Here’s the key quote:
“After serious consideration, [my wife] Jen and I decided that now is not the right time for me to run,” Murphy said via email. “I’m going to keep working hard and remain passionate about building businesses and creating good jobs in the private sector.”
Tags: election14, ny21
Washington,…Getting to be less and less popular these days it seems …
Thank goodness. Maybe the Dems can now find a candidate who will live in the district without the temptation of a Congressional seat. And more importantly, hopefully the Greens can find someone this time who isn’t a cartoon character.
I don’t know…maybe Washington deserves Mr Hassig…
I think there is someone in the wings and that is why these guys are choosing not to run.
Not only is it February but one of the Republicans (Stefanik) has all the grand pooh-bahs of the various Politburos lining up behind her. Which not only will help her with the primary by trying to intimidate the other candidates into withdrawing but also it will definitely help her war chest. So Mervel if you’re right about the Dems having someone in the wings, then s/he better come out of the wood work soon.
Stefanik is not going to be a viable candidate in my opinion. She is not from the North Country and will have a hard time overcoming the carpet bag distinction, plus her lack of any real experience beyond her education and her parents business. (She has worked on some high level campaigns but campaign work is not an actual job.)
i think she’s going to be plenty viable if the dems don’t field a decent candidate!
I believe the date for nominating petitions is March 4th (appropriately), that doesnt leave much time for waiting in wings.
OK, I’ll bite: what’s the significance of March 4?
Say it out loud… march forth.
knuckleheadedliberal says:
February 4, 2014 at 4:52 pm
I believe the date for nominating petitions is March 4th (appropriately), that doesnt leave much time for waiting in wings.
It’s too bad the election calender starts too early. The constant campaigning is absurd.
Maybe we could get Donald Trump to run.
Correction to the news brief that aired about this: Scott Murphy is not from Glens Falls. He lived here for a few years but he and his family moved to NYC shortly after his election loss. His wife was on the GFSD board of education but she resigned because of the move.
What is the status of Dede S? She could run on the Democratic ticket or take on Stanik on the Republican ticket.