Challengers Lining Up in 25th District

By Rachel Ward

Syracuse, NY – There's still another year before the next congressional elections but opponents are lining up against freshman Democrat Dan Maffei.

Maffei serves in the 25th Congressional District, between Syracuse and Irondequoit.

So far, several challengers have expressed an interest in unseating him, according to John DeSpirito III, chair of the Onondaga County Republican Committee.

DeSpirito says historically the district has voted Republican, but Maffei was elected on then-candidate Barack Obama's coattails.

"I'm at meetings just about every evenings some place and people are really upset over the way Congressman Maffei has been voting."

DeSpirito says Maffei has admitted to having issues with cap and trade, and health care legislation, but voted for them anyway, and that's rubbing constituents the wrong way.

According to DeSpirito, four candidates have sought endorsement from his county's Republican committee, and from his perspective, two of them - assistant state attorney general Ann Marie Buerkle, and Central New York Feed president Mark Bitz - are the top choices.

Bitz is waging his first-ever run for office, but he's written about New York state politics, and says he's read extensively leading up to his potential congressional bid.

"Government is out of hand now and I think we're at a tipping point, and we're at a point where we're going to have 'stagflation' and years of standards of living not improving, unless you rein in very, very reckless and irresponsible spending that's going on right now."

Buerkle did not return a request for comment to WXXI.

The other potential candidates are Paul Bertan and David Gay.

Bertan, Bitz and Gay have all registered campaigns with the Federal Elections Commission.

The candidate who'll get the Republican nomination in the 25th will have to be selected by the Republican committees in Wayne and Onondaga County, and by town committees in Irondequoit and parts of Cayuga county.