Staten Island GOP picks a candidate they formerly threw out of office

Former Assemblyman Robert Straniere. Yup.

via the NYTimes;

“Bob Straniere is now the candidate of the Richmond County Republican Committee,” said John S. Friscia, the chairman of the party on Staten Island. “He has the following, the name recognition and the verve and the drive.”

Mr. Friscia filed papers with the New York City Board of Elections on Monday night, just hours before the deadline to substitute Mr. Straniere’s name on the nominating petitions to replace Francis H. Powers, the party candidate who died of a heart attack last month.

One of the small problems he faces is that portions of his own party dislike him and want nothing to do with him, more so than their other Republican candidate Jamshad Wyne and that is saying a lot;

“If Straniere is the nominee, there will be prominent people who will be front and center opposing him,” said Guy V. Molinari, the former Staten Island borough president who spent years building the Republican Party on Staten Island. “This man was a candidate for various offices for 20 years, and he brought nothing but grief to the Republican Party,” he said. “We threw him out of office and got him off of Staten Island. And we don’t want him back.”

Problem number two is that Straniere lives in Manhattan and only promises to move to Staten Island if he wins. Straniere cares so much for Staten Island his former home that he wants nothing to do with it, unless it is a means for him to get to Congress then he will begrudgingly move there to better serve his would be constituents. Straniere was in large part kicked out of the Assembly by his own party in a primary because he was living in Manhattan and not his own district. Way to go Republicans, I am sure this won't come back to bit you.

With the Staten Island Republican party now lining up behind Straniere this likely means Carmina Morano and Paul Atanasio will not get approval from the state party to run as Republicans so we only have a two way race in the Republican party.

see also;
The Albany Project; NY-13: GOP Finally Picks A Candidate...And They Hate Him
Swing State Project; NY-13: Staten GOP Settles For Straniere, Molinari Fumes
Daily News; Pol finds few Republican pals in race to succeed Vito Fossella