New York's 19th congressional district election, 2008

The New York 19th congressional district
New York's 19th congressional district
United States House of Representatives, New York District 19 is located in the southern part of the state of New York. District 19 lies north of New York City and is composed of parts of Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, in addition to the entirety of Putnam County.District 19...

election for the 111th United States Congress

111th United States Congress

The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of...

was held on November 4, 2008. Freshman incumbent John Hall is the nominee for the Democratic Party

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

. Hall narrowly defeated incumbent Sue Kelly by 6,000 votes in 2006.

On May 22, 2008, Republican delegates from each of the five counties represented in the 19th district met in Mahopac, New York

Mahopac, New York

Mahopac, New York, is a hamlet in the Town of Carmel in Putnam County, New York. An exurb of New York City some to the south, Mahopac is located on US Route 6 on the County's southern central border with Westchester County...

to endorse a candidate, and chose candidate Kieran Lalor

Kieran Lalor

Kieran Michael Lalor is an American politician, entrepreneur and author who founded Iraq Vets for Congress . He works in the defense industry, and is a former social studies teacher, and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.Lalor was the Republican candidate in New York's 19th congressional...

John Hall

Incumbent Representative John Hall, a former populist folk singer, is running for reelection. He achieved victory in 2006 with a 51% to 49% margin to defeat incumbent Republican Sue Kelly in this historically Republican district. As Hall is a freshman Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

representing a heavily Republican district who is targeted for defeat by the National Republican Congressional Committee

National Republican Congressional Committee

The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....

, the race is sure to garner national attention. President Bush's political adviser, Karl Rove, listed Hall as No. 17 on the target list in a January presentation that became public after it was used to brief political appointees at the General Services Administration. Hall joked that "I like to say I'm back on the charts."

Kieran Michael Lalor

Kieran Michael Lalor is a lawyer and a Social Studies teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie, New York

Poughkeepsie (city), New York

Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...

. Lalor enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve

United States Marine Corps Reserve

The Marine Forces Reserve is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. It is the largest command in the U.S...

after the September 11 attacks in 2001 on the World Trade Center

World Trade Center

The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...

, and after service during Operation Iraqi Freedom, he founded a Political Action Committee

Political action committee

In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...

focused on promoting policies and candidates committed to victory in America's War on Terrorism

War on Terrorism

The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...

, known as the Eternal Vigilance Society. Initial filings in 2007 showed Lalor, who was the first candidate to announce he was running against Hall, had raised over $20,000.

Lalor believes a Conservative candidate will have the best chance of unseating Hall; Lalor has made some controversial remarks about his primary opponents, including that "Andrew Saul is John Hall in a business suit", and that Saul would be "Sue Kelly all over again", in reference to some of her more moderate and liberal stances on certain issues. Lalor also accused the National Republican Congressional Committee of favoritism towards Saul when he stated that "It’s mainly because they look at Andrew Saul as a free ride. He’s either going to raise money from his millionaire buddies or he’s going to spend his own money, and the NRCC doesn’t have to kick in."

Other Republican candidates

Opponents who campaigned for the nomination include ex-Congressman Joseph DioGuardi, Iraq War veteran Kieran Michael Lalor, and County Legislator

Westchester County Board of Legislators

The Westchester County Board of Legislators is the legislative, policy-making branch of Westchester County. The powers of the Board are enumerated in the County’s charter. A key power of the Board concerns finances: appropriating funds, approving the budget and levying taxes...

George Oros

George Oros is an American lawyer and Republican politician from Cortlandt Manor, New York.-Political career and background:Oros was born in Trenton, New Jersey and moved to Westchester to attend college. Oros earned both a B.B.A. and J.D. from Pace University...

. On May 22, 2008, Republican delegates from each of the five counties represented in the 19th district met in Mahopac, New York

Mahopac, New York

to endorse a candidate, and chose Lalor, with 347 votes going to the Iraq veteran, 311 going to Oros, and 102 going to DioGuardi. Oros stated he would mount a primary challenge to Lalor.

Joseph J. DioGuardi

Joseph J. DioGuardi is a former partner of the Arthur Andersen

Arthur Andersen

Arthur Andersen LLP, based in Chicago, was once one of the "Big Five" accounting firms among PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ernst & Young and KPMG, providing auditing, tax, and consulting services to large corporations...

accounting firm who served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 20th congressional district

New York's 20th congressional district

The 20th Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in eastern New York. It includes all or parts of Columbia, Dutchess, Delaware, Essex, Greene, Otsego, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties. It includes the...

from 1985 to 1989. He was defeated by current Congresswoman Nita Lowey

Nita Lowey

Nita Melnikoff Lowey is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She previously represented the 20th district from 1989 to 1993.-Early life, education and career:...

. DioGuardi has made numerous attempts to return to Congress, winning a Republican primary in 1992 but losing the in the general election. He performed even worse in later races, losing Republican primaries for Congress in 1994 and 1996. After losing the 1994 GOP primary, DioGuardi continued his campaign for the seat as the nominee of the Conservative Party and the Right-to-Life Party. He was the unsuccessful Right-to-Life Party nominee for Congress in 1996 and 1998. He briefly considered running again in 2000, but decided against entering the race.

George Oros

George Oros is a Cortlandt

Cortlandt Manor, New York

Cortlandt Manor is an area located in the Town of Cortlandt in Northern Westchester County, New York. Cortlandt Manor is situated directly east, north and south of Peekskill, and east of three sections of the Town of Cortlandt, Croton-on-Hudson, Crugers, and Montrose...

Republican and the minority leader of the Westchester County Board of Legislators

Westchester County Board of Legislators

. He was born in Trenton, New Jersey

Trenton, New Jersey

Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...

and received a B.B.A. and J.D.

Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

from Pace University

Pace University

Pace University is an American private, co-educational, and comprehensive multi-campus university in the New York metropolitan area with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York.-Programs:...

. In February 2008, Hall gained another potential challenger when Westchester Legislator George Oros announced plans to run against the incumbent. Oros, said his record of winning elections in Democrat-dominated Westchester makes him the best candidate to take on Hall.

Oros was elected to the County Board in 1995 to represent the 1st District and was Chairman from 1996 to 1997. Prior to serving on the Board, George was an active member of the Cortlandt community. He was a Town Councilman and Chair of Cortlandt’s Zoning Board of Appeals.

Withdrawn/declined

Much to the chagrin of the National Republican Congressional Committee

National Republican Congressional Committee

The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....

, several high profile candidates it has courted for the race have all decline to seek the nomination. Potential challengers that have ruled out a bid include State Assemblyman Greg Ball

Gregory R. Ball

Gregory R. Ball is an American business executive, former active duty Air Force officer and member of the New York State Senate. He is a resident of Carmel, New York....

, Orange

Orange County, New York

Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...

County Executive

County executive

A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...

Ed Diana, ex-White House

White House

The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...

Press Secretary

Press secretary

A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....

Ari Fleischer

On May 19, 2003, he announced that he would resign during the summer, citing a desire to spend more time with his wife and to work in the private sector...

, and ex-State Superintendent of Insurance and 2004 U.S. Senate nominee

United States Senate elections, 2004

The United States Senate election, 2004 was an election for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate which coincided with the re-election of George W. Bush as president and the United States House election, as well as many state and local elections. Senators who were elected in 1998,...

Howard Mills. Other candidates who entered the race at one time or another, or who were recruited as potentially strong challengers include ex-state Fianance Commissioner Andrew Eristoff

Andrew Eristoff

Andrew P. Sidamon-Eristoff is a Republican Party politician from New York City who currently serves as New Jersey State Treasurer under Governor Chris Christie...

, ex-aide to Governor Pataki Michael Finnegan, ex-Congresswoman Sue Kelly, former first daughter of New York Emily Pataki, and Federal Thrift Retirement Investment Board Chairman Andrew Saul

Andrew Saul

Andrew Marshall Saul is an American millionaire businessman from Katonah, New York who serves as the Chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board and Vice Chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City, United States...

Greg Ball

State Assemblyman

New York State Assembly

The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...

Greg Ball was also considering a candidacy. Ball defeated a well entrenched Republican incumbent in a 2006 primary, and was one of the lone bright spots for the Republican Party of New York in 2006. His campaign has purchased Google

Google

Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...

ads which advertise his website after a search for "John Hall", "19th congressional district", and other similar terms, leading some to believe he is planning to jump into the race. Ball has an impressive fund raising network, raising a quarter of a million dollars for a state assembly campaign. He also has strong grass roots support, demonstrated by his 70% margin of victory in his 2006 primary. The Journal News ran an article after the 2006 election which featured Ball as well as Hall on the front-page, and speculated on a possible 2008 match-up. Ball announced early in 2008 that he would be focusing on reelection to the State Assembly and was not planning to challenge Hall.

Ed Diana

Ed Diana is the County Executive

County executive

A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...

of Orange County, New York

Orange County, New York

. He is currently in his second term which expires in 2009. Formerly an educator in the Middletown

Middletown, Orange County, New York

Middletown is a city in Orange County, New York, United States. It lies in New York's Hudson Valley region, near the Wallkill River and the foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains. Middletown is situated between Port Jervis and Newburgh, New York. The city's population was 25,388 at the 2000 census...

public school system for thirty years, Diana is also owner of the restaurant Diana's, which has been in operation since 1936. Diana has been described as a "top-tier" candidate by the National Republican Congressional Committee

National Republican Congressional Committee

The National Republican Congressional Committee is the Republican Hill committee which works to elect Republicans to the United States House of Representatives....

. Representing the second largest county in the district, Diana would have strong name recognition in the area which gave Hall is narrow victory in 2006. In January 2008, Diana officially ruled out a run against Hall, stating he would prefer to seek a third term as County Executive.

Andrew Eristoff

Billionaire Andrew Eristoff most recently served as Commissioner of Tax and Finance under Governor

Governor of New York

The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...

George Pataki

George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...

from 2003 to 2006. A close ally of former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Eristoff served on the New York City Council

New York City Council

The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...

from 1993 to 1999 and as City Finance Commissioner from 1999 to 2002. Eristoff failed in one bid for public office, spending over $3 million to challenge Democratic State Senator Liz Krueger

Liz Krueger

Liz Krueger is a member of the New York State Senate, representing a district on the East Side of Manhattan.She was first elected in February 2002 during a special election. Krueger is the ranking member on the Senate Finance Committee. She was Chairwoman of NY's Democratic Senate Campaign...

in what turned out to be the most expensive State Senate race in New York history. A well financed campaign by a moderate like Eristoff may pose a threat to Hall in the general election, if Eristoff can make it through what is shaping up to be a crowded primary.

Michael Finnegan

Michael Finnegan is a close personal friend and former top aide to ex-Governor George Pataki

George Pataki

. Finnegan initially turned down the NRCC when it approached him months ago to gauge his interest in running against Hall, but he has been reconsidering of late, even before Andrew Saul dropped out of the campaign. Finnegan and Pataki were partners in the Peekskill, New York

Peekskill, New York

Peekskill is a city in Westchester County, New York. It is situated on a bay along the east side of the Hudson River, across from Jones Point.This community was known to be an early American industrial center, primarily for its iron plow and stove products...

law firm of Plunkett & Jaffee. Finnegan then managed Pataki’s successful campaigns for mayor, Assembly and Senate and then chaired his 1994 bid for governor. After he defeated Gov. Mario Cuomo, Pataki tapped Finnegan to serve as his first chief counsel. Finnegan currently works for JPMorgan Chase. A moderate such as Finnegan may be the strongest potential challenger yet to declare, as he is capable of financing his own campaign, knows what it takes to win in the area, and has a natural base in Pataki's home territory.

Ari Fleischer

Former White House

White House

Press Secretary

Press secretary

Ari Fleischer was mentioned as a "dream candidate" admits December 2006 rumors that the NRCC and New York State Republican Committee were attempting to recruit him to run against Hall. However, Fleischer quickly claimed that he had no intention of running, stating that he "wouldn't want his children becoming Redskins fans."

Sue Kelly

Prior to her defeat by John Hall in the 2006 election, Kelly was considered one of the 100 most powerful lawmakers in the 435-member House

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

, and the second most powerful congressperson

United States House of Representatives

in the New York delegation

United States Congressional Delegations from New York

These are tables of congressional delegations from New York to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.Over the years, New York has demographically changed so that it is hard to consider each district to be a continuation of the same numbered district before...

. Involvement in the Mark Foley scandal

Mark Foley scandal

The Mark Foley scandal, which broke in late September 2006, centers on soliciting e-mails and sexually suggestive instant messages sent by Mark Foley, a Republican Congressman from Florida, to teenaged boys who had formerly served as congressional pages...

may have contributed to her defeat. Others have cited her vote for the Federal Marriage Amendment

Federal Marriage Amendment

The Federal Marriage Amendment H.J. Res. 56 was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which would have limited marriage in the United States to unions of one man and one woman...

to permanently ban gay marriage in all states once in 2004 and again in 2006.

Howard Mills III

Deloitte & Touche consultant Howard Mills III is a former State Assemblyman who served as Superintendent of Insurance

Insurance commissioner

Insurance commissioner is an executive office in many U.S. states, some in the state cabinet. The office differs state by state:...

during the Pataki administration. He is a moderate, pro-choice

Pro-choice

Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....

Republican. In 2004 he dropped a bid for a fourth Assembly term in order to run against Charles Schumer

Charles Schumer

Charles Ellis "Chuck" Schumer is the senior United States Senator from New York and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected in 1998, he defeated three-term Republican incumbent Al D'Amato by a margin of 55%–44%. He was easily re-elected in 2004 by a margin of 71%–24% and in 2010 by a...

for the U.S. Senate. He was nominated by the State Republican Committee after its fallout with the conservative front-runner Michael Benjamin

Michael Benjamin Bonheur

Michael Benjamin was born Michael Benjamin Bonheur in New York City, New York, United States. Benjamin works as a private investor focusing on Internet companies...

, who had a significant advantage to Mills in both fund raising and campaign volunteers. The conservative Benjamin battled with the state GOP

New York Republican State Committee

The New York Republican State Committee is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New York, headquartered in Albany.-History:...

, which decided in August 2004 there would be no primary and went ahead and nominated Mills for the seat. Mills went on to lose the election in the largest landslide for a Senate seat in the history of New York. A New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...

article reported that Mills had maintained his Assembly campaign account and continued raising funds while Insurance Superintendent, using them for purposes such as paying for a luxury car, dining out and purchasing gifts. Governor Pataki publicly chastised Mills' conduct. A source close to Mills confirmed that he is seriously considering entering the race against Hall. In late 2007, Mills issued a press release stating he was not interested in running for congress.

Emily Pataki

Emily Pataki is a graduate of Columbia

Columbia University

Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...

Law School who was heavily involved in her father

George Pataki

's campaign for Governor of New York

Governor of New York

. Her name is frequently mentioned by pundits, and she has excellent name recognition and access to her father's network of campaign contributors.

Andrew Saul

Andrew Marshall Saul is a millionaire businessman from Katonah, New York

Katonah, New York

Katonah, New York is one of three unincorporated hamlets within the town of Bedford, Westchester County, New York, United States.-History:Katonah is named for Chief Katonah, an American Indian from whom the land of Bedford was purchased by a group of English colonists...

who serves as the Chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board

Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board

The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board was established as an independent agency of the United States government by the Federal Employees Retirement System Act of 1986. It is one of the smaller executive branch agencies, with just over 80 employees...

and Vice Chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Authority

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...

(MTA) in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Saul has been described as a "top recruit" to face Hall.

Saul has outraised leading primary opponents Kieran Lalor

Kieran Lalor

and Joseph DioGuardi in fundraising, and outraising the Democratic incumbent Hall. A self-financed campaign by Saul could pose a formidable threat to the freshman incumbent. Thus far, Saul has won the endorsement of the Putnam County

Putnam County, New York

Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the lower Hudson River Valley. Putnam county formed in 1812, when it detached from Dutchess County. , the population was 99,710. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The county seat is the hamlet of Carmel...

Republican Committee, the most heavily Republican and Conservative

Conservative Party of New York

The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years....

county in the district. He is also courting representatives of the Conservative Party of New York

Conservative Party of New York

.

Saul announced he was withdrawing from the race in November 2007 due to unspecified 'personal reasons.' In February 2008, however, Saul was rumored to be considering entering the race once again and had launched online polls to gauge interest.

Other parties

Due to the unique electoral fusion

Electoral fusion

Electoral fusion is an arrangement where two or more political parties on a ballot list the same candidate, pooling the votes for that candidate...

laws in New York State, candidates are permitted to run on the ballot line of more than one party. However, third parties sometimes run their own candidate.

Conservative Party

The Conservative Party of New York

Conservative Party of New York

has over 10,000 registered voters in this district and will have an impact on the race. If the Republican nominee is unable to gain the Conservative party line, he will have a difficult time winning the general election. Potential candidate Howard Mills was denied the Conservative line in his 2004 Senate bid, when the party chose to endorse ophthalmologist Marilyn O'Grady, and this contributed to his record defeat.

Independence Party

Both Hall and the prospective Republican candidates are expected to compete for the Independence party

Independence Party of New York

The Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994...

line.

Right to Life Party

DioGuardi has successfully gained the nomination of the Right to Life party in the past, which requires their candidates to be strictly opposed to all forms of abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. It is likely that if he loses the Republican primary he will stay in the race on this line.

Election

Democratic Congressman John Hall won re-election in the November 4, 2008 general election over Republican] challenger Kieran Lalor, with 59% of the vote.

External links

Official John Hall Campaign Site
Official Kieran Lalor Campaign Site
Official George Oros Campaign Site
Race ranking and details from CQ Politics
Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
Campaign contributions from OpenSecrets.org
Center for Responsive Politics
The Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.