Rochester, NY --- Monroe County Democratic Party Chairman Joe Morelle confirms that he has approached District Attorney Mike Green about a potential run for Congress. Morelle would not say if Green expressed any interest in response to being approached.
This comes one day after Rep. Eric Massa announced his resignation amid health concerns of his own and an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation. In a statement Massa said his resignation would take effect Monday March 8th at 5 p.m. N.Y. Governor David Paterson could declare a special election to fill the vacancy; a spokesman for his office told 13WHAM News on Friday that the Governor would not announce his intentions until after Massa resigns.
The 29th Congressional District spans 8 counties from the Southern Tier to Rochester. Green, who lives in Pittsford, is a resident of the district although that is not a requirement. Green was elected Monroe County District Attorney in 2003 and defended his seat in the 2007 election. Morelle said that should Green choose to run he would not have to resign his current office.
Republicans hold a significant voter registration advantage in the 29th Congressional District (175,000 Republicans, 130,000 Democrats, 86,000 blanks) making Rep. Massa’s 51-49 victory over incumbent Randy Kuhl in 2008 a notable win for Democrats.
Green did not return phone calls for comment.
