Steve Zodiac at Mustard Street makes this observation:
Maggie Brooks will run for Congress because there’s no reason for her not to.
Run and she has a decent shot at winning. Lose and she’s exactly where she’d be, and no worse off, than if she didn’t run: finishing out her term as Monroe County Executive.
Term limits make this term her last. So a loss in a congressional race can’t tarnish chances for re-election, since there isn’t going to be a re-election.
This is all true, but my question is why she chose a Presidential year to challenge an 82 year-old incumbent. Maggie’s term is up at the end of 2015. If she ran in 2014, Slaughter’s age would be even more of an issue, or, more likely, she will have retired, and a lot fewer Democrats would be heading to the polls because Democratic turnout is lower in non-Presidential elections.
Welcome back, Rottenchester! How I have missed your blog–albeit, as someone whose ties are to the Southern Tier, I sorely shall miss your insightful and attentive coverage of that area. I doubt there is anyone to pick up the torch. And I would like to think that incumbent Tom Reed might be in a competitive race–particularly if, as rumored, Matt Zeller moves to the Southern Tier to run against him. Again, it is exciting to have discovered this site. Good wishes!
Good to hear from you. If you remember Massa in the 29th, his campaign for 2008 began about a week after the 2006 campaign ended. I’m not seeing that kind of effort from Zeller, so I don’t think Reed has much to worry about.
It’s possible that Maggie decided to run against Louise now rather than wait for two years and possibly square off against someone else (Bob Duffy?) for the open seat.
Maybe. Even though Duffy has a big name in Rochester, he doesn’t have a million years of seniority like Louise, so maybe Duffy v Maggie would be a fairer race. But Duffy’s also got wide appeal across the county so maybe you’re right that Louise is a weaker candidate.