Posted on 12/14/2009 1:19:24 PM PST by mdittmar
County chairs seek alternative to Nan Hayworth for run against Hudson Valley Dem
When Assemblyman Greg Ball dropped out of the race to unseat Democratic Congressman John Hall last month, most political observers assumed that the path was clear for Nan Hayworth, a wealthy ophthalmologist who had the backing of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
But in the past few weeks, Republican officials in the 19th Congressional District, which covers suburban counties north of New York City, have revolted from the directives from Washington and begun hunting for an alternative.
Several names have emerged as potential Hayworth challengers, among them David McFadden, a former mayor of Tuxedo Park, a wealthy village near Poughkeepsie, and Neil Di Carlo, a chief compliance officer on Wall Street who lives in Putnam County.
While both are coming late to a race where Hayworth has already reported $318,000 in funding, the county chairs say they are strong options.
“He’s got a ton of money, he’s got experience. 'I know the guy,” said William DeProspo, GOP chair of Orange County, about McFadden.
State Senator Vincent Leibell’s name has also been floated as a potential entrant into the race. Leibell faces a bruising primary against Ball, who announced a challenge to his seat after dropping out of the Congressional race. However, he has consistently denied his interest.
As recently as last week, some county chairs, unhappy with Ball’s change of heart, said they were even hoping they could coax him back into the race.
“We have to wait until the dust settles,” said Vincent Reda of Rockland County. “We don't know if he's out of it for sure.”
The county chairs say their main misgiving about Hayworth is her lack of political experience. But a personal dispute is playing into it as well: Hayworth hired John Hicks, the former party chair of Orange County, as her campaign advisor. Hicks is embroiled in a long-term dispute with DeProspo, who helped oust him. DeProspo says that by choosing Hicks, Hayworth has displayed her political naiveté and an unwillingness to fit in with the local G.O.P. team.
“I think that the NRCC has looked at [Hayworth] on paper,” he said.' “They have their own goals and benchmarks and guidelines…what they really, really like about her is that she has a lot of money.”
The chairs are challenging the claim that Hayworth is a viable challenge to Hall, towards whom the NRCC has been directing a lot of firepower in recent weeks. The chairs say Hayworth’s country-club image will not play well in more blue-collar counties north of her native Westchester County.
However, many local Republicans say Hayworth has a good shot at winning. She is pro-choice—her husband is an OB-GYN—but has painted herself as a tough fiscal hawk and is a member of the Club for Growth. She is the pick of Sue Kelly, the former seven-term Republican congresswoman, who says that Hayworth is the GOP’s best candidate in such a moderate district. Several local electeds say that having a Republican candidate from Westchester will be an advantage to the party, since Westchester voters tend to favor Democrats more than those in nearby counties but are also likely to respond to a GOP candidate from their own area.
Local political insiders predict that a fight between the chairs and the NRCC could play out publicly.
“I think what you’re going to see is the five county chairs getting behind somebody and everybody else dropping out,” said one local political insider. “The NRCC is probably going to get into it too, saying they’re not going to provide funding if it’s not a candidate that can win the district.”
This is not the first time that the local parties and the Washington Republicans have tangled over a Congressional seat. At the beginning of the year, the national party hand-picked Assembly minority leader Jim Tedisco to run in the race to replace Kirsten Gillibrand, over the objections of local officials. Tedisco lost in an upset.
“There was a lot of fighting behind the scenes that has hopefully been taken care of. The fact that the county chairs are getting together to nip it in the bud is a sign that they've learned their lesson,” said a local Republican politician.' “The NRCC doesn't have any money to help out anyway.' The local chairs are going to have the final say.”
The NRCC, which does not endorse candidates in a primary, is enthusiastically backing Hayworth until further notice about other Republicans in the race.
“She’s proven she can raise money; she’s proven she can generate excitement in the district and in Washington,” said Tory Mazzola, a spokesman for the organization. “The best way to win this district is with a candidate who can bring people together.”'
Incumbent Hall is a musician from the band “Orleans” for those who do not know.
Orleans? They had a good song back in the day....
The Party always runs better when the leadership at the top honors the desires of the grassroots. The movement should always be from the bottom up and when its not, Republicans don't get out the vote.
Big time libs...they played for McGovern’s campaign.
What can FReepers do to help slap DC?
Tuxedo Park is about an hour away from Poughkeepsie. Just a nitpick though.
They had two good songs. You're still the one and Dance with me. The Hoppens are my second cousins. I hardly know them at all though, but I am pretty sure they are left-wing. They do put on a good show.
NY Cong. race *ping*
I was for Greg Ball, but he’s stumbled several times. It would be absurd for him to re-enter.
I don’t know much about these people. But Tuxedo Park is quite a name for a town. If it isn’t country club now, it must have been when it was founded.
They say that Hayworth’s husband, the OB-GYN, is an abortionist. I was looking forward to the Ball v. Hayworth primary.
I do know that her husband, Scott Hayworth, is CEO of Mount Kisco Medical Group, which provides a variety of medical services. He is an ob gyn. I saw nothing about abortion listed. Nan Hayworth has come out against partial birth abortion in her campaign.
Why did Greg Ball drop out and run for the state senate instead? Did the NRCC and RNC force him out so that their millionaire RINO could run unimpeded? Ball was the absolute perfect candidate for that district, and I hope that either he or the state senator that he’s challenging run for Congress.
Sue Kelly endorses Hayworth because of her pro-abortion stance, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. How many times has a pro-abortion politician endorsed a pro-lifer to replace him or her? I can think of Thomas in California endorsing McCarthy, but that’s just about it.
I’m not entirely sure why, he apparently has a REAL beef against the incumbent RINO State Senator, perhaps figures he’d have more clout there if he won given the closely-divided situation. It would be interesting if Ball forces him out and the Senator decides to run for the House seat. I’m not so crazy about Mrs. Hayworth.
And today I heard John McLame spouting his stupid "big tent" talk again. He had his shot and now it is his turn to STFU. He has wasted enough of our time and money already.
Whoever wrote this is an idiot and not familiar with the area. Tuxedo Park is a good 60 miles from Poughkeepsie and on the other side of the Hudson River.
The NY GOP is pretty damn hardheaded. How many times do RINOS have to crash and burn to clue them in?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuxedo_Park,_New_York
“What is now the village and the areas immediately surrounding it, were developed as a resort for Blue Blood society in 1885 “
Ha!
Methinks you supported a weakling...your boy kicked himself out of the race when he realized that inaccurate poll and had the entire national political establishment laughing at him.
Also, Ball has more dirt on him than I think you can begin to comprehend (and Vinnie Leibell, though he’s well thought of, has his own baggage).
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