John McHugh (R) leaving congress for job as Secretary of the Army
WATERTOWN -- Democrats in New York’s sprawling 23rd Congressional District will meet August 10th to choose a candidate for a special election to fill John McHugh’s seat. McHugh, a veteran republican lawmaker, was nominated by President Barak Obama as Secretary of the Army.
Darrel Aubertine was the front-runner among the democrats for the seat. But Aubertine announced last week he would stay in the state senate. Aubertine had already been targeted in ads by national republican groups.
Party chairs from the eleven counties will gather at Syracuse University’s Minnowbrook Conference Center in Blue Mountain Lake to hear from prospective candidates, and then choose the party’s designee. That person will face republican Dede Scozzafava in a special election for the seat on a date still to be determined by Governor David Paterson.
In a news release the democrats listed eleven names being considered for the seat;
Andy Bisselle, Essex County
Stu Brody, Essex County
Steve Burke, St. Lawrence County
Danny Francis, Jefferson County
Bob Johnson, Jefferson County
Rudolph Johnson, Franklin County
Brian McGrath, Lewis County
David Ryan, Franklin County
John Sullivan, Jr., Oswego County
Michael Oot, Madison County
Bill Owens, Clinton County
