NY-25: Jim Walsh To Support Withdrawal

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle will have it tomorrow. From the Editorial Board page;

This just in: Just received an email from our Washington reporter, Erin Kelly, who just got off the phone with Rep. Jim Walsh. She's writing a story for tomorrow's paper that reports the moderate Republican is switching gears and is now calling for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Not only that but Walsh, who visited Iraq during the weekend, says he will no longer support funding the war.

Walsh is the first major New York Republican to come out for withdrawal. If confirmed, he joins four other Republicans, Walter Jones (R-North Carolina), Wayne Gilchrest (R-Maryland), John J. Duncan (R-Tennessee) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-Missouri), who all voted to withdraw troops by April 2008 this past Spring.

Walsh represents a district that includes Syracuse, Irondequoit and part of Rochester that was won by John Kerry in 2004. He narrowly won reelection last year against Dan Maffei, who is running again next year.

NY-25: Another Rematch

New York's Congressional Seats gave Republicans heartburn in 2006. They lost three and barely held on to another three. One of the seats they barely held on to was the seat of Republican Jim Walsh of Syracuse. Walsh's district (see map below) includes the city of Syracuse and some of Rochester's eastern suburbs, such as Irondequiot. The district leans Democratic and was won by John Kerry in 2004, all while Walsh went unopposed that year.


NEW YORK'S 25th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:




Walsh looked like he would cruise to reelection in 2006, but in the last days of the campaign, this guy's campaign rose from obscurity and Walsh narrowly squeaked by 51%-49%


His name is Dan Maffei and he's running again in 2008. A former aide to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Maffei could have very likely taken a fourth Republican held seat in New York last year if his campaign had caught the attention it had gotten by October. However, his rematch looks like one of the best chances for the Democrats in 2008, as this district leans Democratic to begin with. Maffei's already received 49% of the vote in the district, so his name recognition is high and perhaps higher turnout in a Presidential year will push him over the top.

This and Eric Massa's rematch in the neighboring NY-29 may further dwindle to number of Republicans in Congress from the Empire State. There are also some rumblings about the possibility of an interesting candidate in Tom Reynolds' NY-26 seat. Democrats are eyeing the NY-3 seat of Peter King on Long Island and the NY-13, Vito Fossella in Staten Island. That would leave John McHugh in the NY-23 as the only Republican left Democrats aren't seriously targeting in 2008...at least as of now