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Tag: Sen-45

NY-Sen-45: Merrick to Run Again?

By Upstate Blue, Section News
Posted on Mon Mar 26, 2007 at 12:47:15 PM EST

According to The Post-Star, Democrat Timothy Merrick of Plattsburg who challenged Betty Little in 2006 for the 45th Senate District seat is mulling another run for office.

Timothy Merrick, a chiropractor from Plattsburgh who ran for state Senate against incumbent Republican Elizabeth Little of Queensbury last year was among those in attendance...

Merrick said he is "open" to running for public office at some level again.

"I'm interested to see what the party wants and the people need," he said.

Rumors have been surfacing lately that Merrick most likely will attempt a re-match of Betty Little for the 45th Senate District seat, which (unfortunately) is severely gerrymandered to favor the incumbent, with current enrollment being 43% Republican to only 29% Democratic. It would be nice to see Little voted out, considering her extreme right-wing voting record, as well as her severe support of corporate interests, such as the pharmaceutical and insurance industries who have given thousands towards Little?s most recent campaigns. Last year, Little received the worst rating in the State Senate from both the Drum Major Institute, a reform-oriented watchdog group, as well as New York Environmental Advocates.

Another possibility I could see is Merrick challenging freshman Assemblywoman Janet Duprey (R) for the North Country-based 114th Assembly seat where Democratic and Republican enrollment is nearly at parity. (As of November 2006, there were 29,464 Republicans and 28,870 Democrats in the 114th District) My thought is that perhaps by running for the Assembly, Merrick could make a much more formidable challenge, given the even partisan tilt of the 114th District, and the fact that the current Assemblywoman is not all that entrenched.

What ever he chooses to do, Merrick deserves the support of the progressive grassroots base. Very much unlike Betty Little or Janet Duprey, Merrick is a strong supporter of progressive principles, such as progressive taxation, stem cell research, as well as closing loopholes in healthcare insurance. All in all, we need more Spitzer Democrats like Merrick representing Upstate in the legislature, instead of the current right-wing types like Little, Bruno, Sayward, and Duprey, who are only seeking to hold back progress and obstruct Spitzer?s agenda of reform.

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