Modern News

The fallout from Scott Brown’s incredible upset win in Massachusetts has started, Hanna announces rematch against Arcuri in NY-24.

Richard Hanna of Barneveld in Oneida County intends to file with the Federal Election Commission as a candidate for the 24th Congressional District. He will seek the Republican, Conservative and Independence party endorsements. [Read Hanna’s Full Announcement]

Richard Hanna of Barneveld in Oneida County intends to file with the Federal Election Commission as a candidate for the 24th Congressional District. He will seek the Republican, Conservative and Independence party endorsements.

Hanna, who is married with two young children, is a lifelong resident of upstate New York and a successful businessman having employed over 450 people in his 27 years in private business. Richard is educated in economics and has a 30-year history of community involvement; in 2007, he received The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties’ Rosamond Childs Award for Philanthropy and throughout his life has received dozens of other community service awards. Richard ran as a first time candidate in 2008 – one of the worst years in Republican history with little national help – yet had one of the closest races in the United States losing by about two percentage points against a career politician.

“We are fostering a political system that spends most of its time at war with itself ignoring its responsibilities to its citizens and the future,” Hanna said. “As we live through the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression every American’s share of our multitrillion dollar debt is over $184,000. If we do not begin to act responsibly and with urgency we risk being the last generation to pass to our children the full promise of our upstate community and this nation.

“I am running as an Independent minded, pragmatic American who believes that it is government’s responsibility to clear the way for individuals to solve problems, to foster all those productive economic and educational elements that create jobs and opportunity, which has allowed our nation’s citizens to enjoy the highest standard of living in the world,” Hanna continued. “We are living at a time of grave consequences as well as opportunity. How we respond is how the future and how our children will judge us.”

NRCC Comment: “Michael Arcuri should review the Massachusetts election results closely because it’s clear that voters, especially independents, are motivated to stop the Obama-Pelosi big government agenda he supports.  Frustrated by Arcuri’s partisan record, Central New Yorkers want an independent voice in Congress that fights to create jobs, cut spending and lower taxes.  Richard Hanna will provide that leadership and put people back to work.” – Tory Mazzola, NRCC Spokesman

Some quick facts on NY-24:

48% In 2008, a tough election cycle for Republicans by any standard, Hanna earned 48% of the vote against Michael Arcuri.  In 2010, Democrats are not safe in Massachusetts, a deep blue state where Obama took 62% of the vote.

50% President Obama garnered only 50% in this district in 2008.  As the election results in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia prove, 2010 will be a very different cycle and the Obama-Pelosi message can’t even pull off a win in the Bay State.

+2 The Cook Partisan Voting Index (PVI) favors the GOP by 2 points.

+6 In 2004, President George W. Bush carried the district by 6, earning 53% of the vote.

91% Michael Arcuri has proven his partisan stripes by voting with Nancy Pelosi 91% of the time, including a vote for government-run healthcare, a bill that only 33% of Americans think is a “good idea.”