Republicans are looking for a candidate to replace State Senator Jim Seward on the November ballot, but Chris Tague won’t be their man.
Assemblyman Tague said Tuesday he decided not to seek Senator Seward’s seat.
Senator Seward announced last week that he won’t seek re-election because he’s receiving cancer treatments and campaigning would be too strenuous.
Now finishing his 17th term, Senator Seward has been unbeatable at the polls. He’s been popular and his 51st Senate District is heavily Republican; Democrats sometimes haven’t fielded an opponent.
Assemblyman Tague, also chairman of the Schoharie County Republican Committee, at first considered trying for the GOP nomination.
Having won a special election for the 102nd Assembly District in the spring of 2018 and re-elected that November, Assemblyman Tague has been in office not quite two years.
“I’ve made a lot of relationships in the Assembly District that wouldn’t be part of the Senate District,” said Assemblyman Tague, noting the two districts overlap only slightly.
“It would be like I’m walking out on people. I’ll run for re-election in the 102nd in November.”
At first supporting Assemblyman Tague for the Senate seat, Vince Casale, chairman of the Otsego County Republican Committee, said party leaders will look for another candidate.
He listed other possibilities: Otsego County Legislator Peter Oberacker, Legislative Chairman Dave Bliss or Vice Chairman Meg Kennedy.
“We have very viable, very fantastic people who would make good candidates,” Mr. Casale said. “We’ll be well-represented in the future.”
Fultonham farmer Jim Barber announced in December that he’s seeking the Democratic nomination to run for the Senate seat.
There’s been no word about other possible Democratic candidates.