After the announcement that his congressional district could disappear, Rep. Bob Turner (R-Queens) is doubling down on his political future by announcing a United States Senate run.
On Tuesday, March 13, Turner released a statement saying he would challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
“I will travel to the Republican State Convention in Rochester later this week and humbly ask for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate,” Turner said in a release. “I will respectfully ask for the Conservative nomination a few days later at that Party’s convention. I have made my intentions known to the other Republican candidates in this race.
“I ran for the House six months ago as a private citizen fed up with what is happening in Washington. I could not sit and watch career politicians sink my nation deeper into economic crisis. Brooklyn and Queens voters, of all political parties, graciously responded by sending me to Congress. It now appears that their district has been eliminated.
“There is serious work to be done to get this economy back on track, and I will not walk away from that work now. I will run for the Senate, and I will run to win.”
Turner won a special election in September to take the office of Anthony Weiner who was forced out after a sexting scandal.
But last week, he found out his district might be gone in 2013.
New York must eliminate two congressional districts due to lagging population growth, according to the 2010 census.
The State Legislature was unable to reach an agreement on redrawn maps, and when a judicially appointed magistrate stepped in to redraw the lines, she eliminated Turner’s district in her proposal.
After the announcement of that possibility, Turner said he would run in whatever district his house ended up in after the final decision.
Instead, just days before the Republican convention in Rochester, he’s jumped into an already crowded Senate race.
Attorney Wendy Long declared her Republican candidacy in February; Joe Carvin, mayor of Rye, NY, is also running for the nomination, as well as Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos.
Turner may have an advantage in name recognition on a national stage. He drew attention when he won the Queens and Brooklyn congressional seat in a largely democratic district.
By Jeremiah Dobruck
j.dobruck@theforumnewsgroup.com
