Henrietta, NY --- Multiple Democratic sources now confirm that party chairs decided Monday night that Matthew Zeller is their candidate should a special election to replace Rep. Eric Massa take place.
The other leading Democrat remaining in the conversation was David Nachbar of Pittsford. Nachbar now tells 13WHAM News that he contacted a party chairman within the last day and informed them he was withdrawing his name from consideration.
Zeller, 28, is a Rochester area native with family throughout the 29th Congressional District and roots in the Southern Tier. Zeller is an '04 alum of Hamilton College and also earned master's degrees in public administration and international relations from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University in '06 according to a recent news release from Hamilton College.
Also according to that release Zeller worked as an embedded combat mentor to the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police while on deployment in 2008. Zeller, a friend tells me, got the urge to enlist in the Army following the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001. While attending college he was a member of the ROTC program.
Attempts to contact Zeller directly are currently unsuccessful. Sources say he currently lives in the Virgina-Washington D.C. area.
