Congressman Bob Turner, New York Republican announced on Tuesday afternoon he will be challenging Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Democrat, for her seat this year. In an e-mail sent to the press, Rep. Turner is quoted as saying:
“I will travel to the Republican State Convention in Rochester later this week and humbly ask for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate. I will respectfully ask for the Conservative nomination a few days later at that Party’s convention. I have made my intentions known to the other Republican candidates in this race.”
SEE RELATED:
“I ran for the House six months ago as a private citizen fed up with what is happening in Washington. I could not sit and watch career politicians sink my nation deeper into economic crisis. Brooklyn and Queens voters, of all political parties, graciously responded by sending me to Congress. It now appears that their district has been eliminated.”
“There is serious work to be done to get this economy back on track, and I will not walk away from that work now. I will run for the Senate, and I will run to win.”
Congressman Turner won his Brooklyn-Queens district after then Rep. Anthony Weiner resigned from the seat, and Mr. Turner defeated New York Assemblyman David Weprin in a special election. The seat had not been in Republican hands since 1923.
Turner had the support of former New York Mayor Ed Koch, a Democrat, for that race. However, according to a tweet from Ben Jacobs at Newsweek, Mr. Koch will be supporting Gillibrand for her reelection campaign. She currently has a $50 million war chest.
Three other Republican candidates are also vying for the nomination to challenge Gillibrand. These are: Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos, attorney Wendy Long, and Rye Town Supervisor Joe Carvin.
