Lisa Giovanazzi out too

via the NYTimes;

Party leaders on Staten Island said they were looking seriously at a number of potential candidates. The most prominent is Matthew Mirones, a former assemblyman who operates a prosthetics company. They had also considered Lisa Giovinazzo, a lawyer and part-time anchor at the cable channel NY1 News. But on Wednesday, Ms. Giovinazzo said she would not be a candidate.

Lisa the former front runner for this seat became the dark horse candidate going into the Staten Island GOP endorsement vote only to be passed over at the very last minute for Frank Powers when he promised to self fund his race. Why she would even consider carrying the flag for her party after that makes no sense to me or her.

GOP Candidate Speculation

First we hear not to expect any movement until after the funeral for Frank Powers, via TPM;

A national GOP source tells us that the party is already talking to local leaders about potential new candidates, but nothing will happen until after the funeral.

The funeral is scheduled for Friday.

As for the new round of potential candidates here are some thoughts, via the Advance;

Paul Atanasio (or Carmine Morano)

The GOP also is said to be looking at cross-endorsing Paul Atanasio, who received the backing of the Brooklyn Conservative Party after Powers' death, or Independence Party pick Carmine Morano.

Mike McMahon?

While some observers have mentioned the possibility of a GOP cross-endorsement of McMahon, borough Democratic chair John Gulino said that no one on the Republican side had approached him about it. "I wouldn't even discuss it at this time," Gulino said, alluding to the impropriety of discussing politics so soon after Powers' death. "Let's see what happens."

CQPolitics chimes in with a brutal possible reality for the Republican Party;

Though Republican Party officials they are unlikely to publicly concede the seat they have long held in New York City’s most strongly Republican district, Flanagan suggested they could decide that the disastrous first half of this year has already doomed them to lose in November. In that case, Flanagan said, they must consider “how do they lose in a way that doesn’t damage other candidates that are running for state offices?”

At the least, the Republican recruiters will be looking for a lesser-known candidate who could run a credible and possible competitive race. Among those considered possible picks under this scenario are Lisa Giovinazzo and Paul Atanasio.

Now we learn that the top hope, a second or third tier choice, Matthew Mirones is out.

So who wants it? Seriously, someone please just raise your hand. This seat is key to the Republicans Regaining their Majority, err, it is key to the local Republican Party not imploding, err, well someone really should just run for the civics lesson.

update: Lisa Giovinazzo
via the Advance;

Mirones' departure leaves attorney and broadcaster Lisa Giovinazzo as the top candidate for the borough GOP's endorsement.

New Candidate Speculation, Republican Party

Some candidate speculation via the NY Sun;

Republican leaders say two leading candidates to replace Powers are an acting state Supreme Court justice, Joseph Maltese, and a retired investment banker, Paul Atanasio.

Mr. Atanasio, who is active in the state Conservative Party, was a municipal bond manager at UBS before retiring several months ago. He was also a helicopter pilot in the Marine Corps.

If Atanasio enters the race this could move the Staten Island Conservative Party to end their hold out and endorse him. Prior to the recent events they wanted to endorse McMahon while the Brooklyn side of the party wanted to endorse Powers creating a stalemate.

Meanwhile Fossella has declared he really is done and will not run again
via the Advance;

"My plans for the future have not changed," Fossella (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) told the Advance during an exclusive interview in his Eltingville district office today. "I am not running for re-election."

Liz has a great round up of all the other usual suspects and tells us Lanza, Donovan Ignizio and Oddo are still out. Lisa Giovinazzo who was the front runner for three hours before Frank Powers' endorsement might still be interested and a new name has entered, former Assemblyman Matt Mirones. Mirones used to hold the AD-60 seat now held by Janele Hyer-Spencer. Certainly a more moderate seat spanning Staten Island and Brooklyn. He would probably be one of the stronger fifth tier (I forget what tier we are on honestly) candidates.

GOP County Convention and endorsement tonight

Lanza's withdraw shadows Cusick's from yesterday. Getting out just before the County meeting so that they can endorse someone else. Who is that someone else? Look for one of two paths to play out. First is dark horse candidate Lisa Giovinazzo gets the nod. Or, and this is the interesting part that I am not hearing is that the party is so frustrated that they renominate Fossella or another place holder with the plan that he will later reject it after the party has had time to find a suitable replacement.

Lisa Giovinazzo GOP front runner. Who?

If every other news story was not enough to show the GOP is falling apart in Staten Island comes news today that Lisa Giovinazzo is their likely front runner. Giovinazzo is a lawyer and reporter for NY1. Her claim to fame outside of that is running against McMahon in 2003 and losing to him. Apparently that is her role in the party.

via the Advance;

GOP chairman John Friscia has told us that Lisa Giovinazzo, best known as a newscaster on NY-1 News, "looks like the front-runner right now" for the party's endorsement for Congress.

What is amazing about all of this is that the potential GOP candidate list has grown and grown over the days. I have 18 potential candidates at one point or another, and haven't added Sliwa to that list yet, and Giovinazzo isn't even mentioned. This is a massive failure of the Staten Island GOP.