State Senate G.O.P. piles into a primary fight for non-incumbent Eric Ulrich
Eric Ulrich. nyc council via flickr
4:50 pm Jul. 16, 20122
The campaign committee charged with helping Republicans keep their two-seat majority in the legislature’s upper house is defending three incumbents who are facing primaries: Stephen Saland in Poughkeepsie, Mark Grisanti in Buffalo and Roy McDonald in Albany.
All three voted for same-sex marriage and face primary opponents who are against it.
The Senate Republican Campaign Committee is also spending money on one non-incumbent who is facing a Republican primary this September: 27-year-old City Councilman Eric Ulrich of Queens, who is running against former Rudy Giuliani aide Juan Reyes. The SRCC gave $250,000 to Ulrich and Senate Republican spokesman Scott Reif simply said in an email, “Eric Ulrich is our candidate for the State Senate and we support him.”
The winner of the primary would face a Democratic incumbent, Joe Addabbo, Jr., in a newly configured district.
There is some recent history between Ulrich and Reyes. Both Republicans eyed the congressional seat vacated by Anthony Weiner last year.
Ulrich couldn’t get the support of the Queens County Republican organization, with which he has feuded. The Queens party was then set to back Reyes, but eventually fell into line with the Brooklyn Republican and Conservative organizations and backed Bob Turner, who eventually won.
So, it’s Reyes and Ulrich again, but this time Ulrich has a huge advantage in terms of institutional support.
Since that congressional stand-off, he has solidified his role as a rising star in the Republican Party, and was named Mitt Romney’s campaign chairman for New York City.
A Reyes spokesman, Gerry O’Brien, told me the SRCC’s heavy contribution to Ulrich shows he won’t be independent of the “Albany bosses” and that he’ll be a “yes man” for whatever they say.
O'Brien cited the American revolution, saying it wasn't fought "so someone a couple of hundred miles away” could determine local representation.
A spokeswoman for Ulrich, Jessica Proud, simply said the campaign was “proud” of the support they’ve received, and that they're eager to “communicate with voters about Joe Addabbo's failed record.”
Is it true that Ulrich lets Felons deliver his ballots so he could run for office http://nyp.st/LKeGQ4. If he trusts felons with this job what sort of scandals can we look forward to if Ulrich is elected. As far as the State party is concerned picking Obama style candidates to run in my district reminds me of how the Fed Gov't is trying to tell us what doctor to go to. I'm voting Republican therefore I'm voting Reyes. Oh by the way Ulrich hangs with felons and is a Dem he just won't tell you...
It should be illegal for the Senate Republican Campaign Committee to transfer money into a candidates account during a primary. That money was give to help elect Republican not help beat them. It is utterly disgusting to see the party leadership again try to pick and choose who we should have as our representative. I'm not voting for Eric I can tell you that much.