When US Rep. Tom Reynolds announced he would not be seeking re-election in New York's 26th district, the Republicans never anticipated they'd have such a hard time finding a replacement.
Their first choice, George Maziarz, who has been a local state senator since 1995, didn't step up when asked to fill the void republican ticket.
New York State Assemblyman Jim Hayes then expressed interest in running, but according to The Buffalo News, he received little encouragement from local voters.
Channel 4 anchorman Don Postles declined offers to run, though community members expressed overwhelming support for his candidacy.
Now, Marsha Henderson, UB's vice president for External Affairs, is being considered for the position.
Buffalo's dilemma is a microcosm of what is happening on the national stage. More Republicans are retiring from their seats than are stepping up to run. According to The Washington Post, 22 republicans are retiring from Congress, compared to three Democrats.
"They (those not seeking reelection) probably think that being in the minority is not a happy a time as being in the majority," Reynolds said in a Channel 7 wkbw.com interview.
That could explain why no one has stepped up to take Reynolds' empty seat, but the problem goes deeper than that. Reynolds himself came close to defeat during his 2006 reelection campaign against Jack Davis; Reynolds won by a narrow four percent margin.
In recent years, republicans like Mark Foley, Larry Craig and David Vitter have been synonymous with national scandals, making potential candidates even more hesitant to run.
The empty House of Representatives seat is just another example in a long line of apathetic attitudes when it comes to public service.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
