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U.S. Representative Tim Bishop of Southampton kicked off his campaign at a rally in Farmingville that drew a crowd of 300 supporters on Sunday, according to a press release from his campaign.
The Democratic congressman is running to hold on to the seat he has held since 2002, representing Eastern Long Island in the U.S. House of Representatives. On Election Day, he will face Randy Altschuler, a business owner and first-time candidate from St. James who received the Republican and Conservative party nominations last week.
Mr. Bishop, who is also endorsed by the Independence Party, was quoted as criticizing Mr. Altschuler, a millionaire, for trying to “buy” the seat, and alluding to the fact that his opponent moved to the district three years ago.
“I ran for Congress because I live here and because I care about living here,” Mr. Bishop said in a speech to his supporters. “I didn’t move here to run. I care about the people of this district, I care about its issues, I care about seeing to it that they’re properly represented. I didn’t just run because I wanted my first name to be Congressman. That’s all Randy Altschuler wants.”
In a press release issued on Saturday, Mr. Altschuler claimed Mr. Bishop has wrought higher taxes on Suffolk County residents, and criticized him for voting with Nancy Pelosi of California, the liberal speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Tim Bishop can feign anger to rally his liberal Democratic base as much as he wants—it pales in comparison to the outrage felt by residents of the 1st District who are sick and tired of his 97 percent voting record with Nancy Pelosi,” the press release stated.
On Monday, Mr. Altschuler’s campaign also announced that the candidate was endorsed by Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and a presidential hopeful in 2008.
Suffolk County Independence Party Chairman Frank MacKay was reelected the party’s state chairman for the seventh time at a convention held earlier this month, according to an Independence Party press release issued this week.
Mr. MacKay, who lives in Rocky Point, ran unopposed, the press release stated.
The Independence Party of New York has grown significantly during Mr. MacKay’s tenure, and it is the largest statewide third party political organization in the nation, with 413,855 members as of April 2010, according the State Board of Elections.
“The party is growing in numbers and strength and this is due to the hard work and talent of our county leadership around the state, and our dedicated State Committee,” Mr. MacKay was quoted as saying in the release. “I appreciate their support and we now look forward to rallying around our candidates and making a strong statement on election day.”
Will James on Sep 22, 2010