NY Observer > Vito Fossella

Vito Fossella Gets Some Good Press

Azi Paybarah — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:33:28 -0400

Representative Vito Fossella has been named one of Capitol Hill's 50 most beautiful people by the newspaper The Hill.

Looking for G.O.P. Candidates on Staten Island

Azi Paybarah — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:39:10 -0400

The death of Frank Powers means Republicans on Staten Island are, again, looking for someone to run for Vito Fossella’s seat.

So, who’s on the list?

Scratch off District Attorney Dan Donovan, whose spokesman said he hasn’t changed his mind from last month about not running for the seat. Also not interested in running is City Councilman Vinny Ignizio. When I asked him to appear on video saying he doesn’t want to run, he declined, calling it “a moot point.” City Councilman Jimmy Oddo and State Senator Andrew Lanza haven't changed their minds either.

Who does that leave?

McMahon Gets the Inevitable Question

Azi Paybarah — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:51:19 -0400

At a press conference on the City Hall steps just now, where the DCCC and some local officials endorsed City Councilman Mike McMahon for Congress, a reporter asked the inevitable question.

Have you ever driven drunk? Or had an extramarital affair?

McMahon is running for the seat currently held by Vito Fossella, who announced he won't run for re-election after he was caught doing just that.

The councilman said no on both counts.

Recchia Drops Congressional Bid

Katharine Jose — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:37:33 -0400

Democratic City Councilman Domenic Recchia of Brooklyn just announced he is dropping out of the race for Vito Fossella's congressional seat.

Staten Island Democrats recently endorsed another candidate, City Councilman Mike McMahon. Although the district lies partly in Brooklyn, Staten Island residents are a majority.

In the release, Recchia says he thinks Democrats should be "united as a party" to win the seat, currently held by a Republican. read more »

Fidler Standing Behind Recchia

Azi Paybarah — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:06:47 -0400

City Councilman Mike McMahon, who is running for the congressional seat Vito Fossella is vacating, was endorsed last night by the Staten Island Democratic Party. read more »

Fossella, Again?

Azi Paybarah — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:30:03 -0400

Republicans are having some trouble finding a candidate to run for the Congressional seat Vito Fossella is planning to vacate at the end of the year.

Could they find a solution by turning to … Fossella?

A couple of political consultants I talked to think the idea is at least theoretically plausible. He has, they point out, managed to get through the worst of the press coverage without disappearing entirely from the public eye. (He has been maintaining a surprisingly unremarkable presence at parades.) And he'd sort of be operating, if he chose to renew interest in running on the Republican line, in a vacuum. As Dan Gerstein put it, Fossella “may be able to get the G.O.P. nomination since they can't seem to give the seat away on that side.” (This, in a district in which George W. Bush won 55 percent of the vote in 2004.) read more »

Independence Party Candidate Interviews Rescheduled

Azi Paybarah — Tue, 27 May 2008 11:12:55 -0400

The Independence Party interviews for congressional candidates eyeing Vito Fossella’s seat were supposed to take place last night, but got postponed because of what one organizer called a “logistical problem.”

That organizer, Frank Morano, a member of the party’s state executive committee, said the interviews have been rescheduled for 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, at Killmeyer’s Old Bavaria Inn, at 4254 Arthur Kill Road on Staten Island. read more »

A Frank Appeal to the Independence Party

Azi Paybarah — Mon, 26 May 2008 14:49:52 -0400

The race to succeed departing Representative Vito Fossella is wide open, and a number of major-party candidates are interviewing with the Independence Party in an effort to gain an advantage over the rest of the field. One of them, Richmond County Young Republicans vice president Rich Hoffman, forwarded me his responses to a questionnaire that the I.P. asked all congressional candidates to fill out.

Hoffman, it seems, it going with blunt honesty to win them over. A few examples, cut-and-pasted from what he sent: read more »

Donovan Says He Won't Run for Fossella's Seat

Azi Paybarah — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:57:45 -0400

The Republican district attorney of Staten Island, Dan Donovan, who many considered to be the leading congressional candidate to run for the seat being vacated by Republican Vito Fossella, says he is not in the running. read more »

Who Wants Fossella's Seat?

Azi Paybarah — Tue, 20 May 2008 12:37:40 -0400

Here's what I've heard so far about who might run for Vito Fossella's seat now that the congressman has said he is staying in office but not seeking re-election.

A spokesman for Democratic City Councilman Domenic Recchia of Brooklyn, the best-funded challenger, said he’s still in the race, despite some rumblings that he might drop out. Democratic attorney Steve Harrison is also still running.

On the Republican side, the names of State Senator Andrew Lanza and District Attorney Dan Donovan have been floated. But a bid by either would come at a cost to the party. A Lanza run could jeopardize one of the State Senate seats that give Republicans a majority. And Donovan would have to give up his safe seat as district attorney, in which case David Paterson would almost certainly appoint a Democrat to that borough-wide position. read more »