Rob - banned
12-21-2005, 02:55 PM
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2005/POLITICS/12/21/ny.pirro/story.vert.pirro.jpg
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Jeanine Pirro, the longtime prosecutor who had been set to run against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton next year, has decided to drop out of the U.S. Senate race in New York, Republican Party officials confirmed Wednesday.
Pirro will instead run for state attorney general, an adviser said.
"This is the job that she really wants to do," the adviser said. "She's more familiar with the issues. That's what it comes down to."
Pirro is expected to announce the switch publicly by the end of the week, a party official said.
The official added that the candidate already has discussed her plans with state party officials -- state Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, who publicly called for her to change races, and Gov. George Pataki, who had endorsed Pirro when she entered the race in August.
Pataki's endorsement caused Pirro's main rival for the Republican nomination, Ed Cox, 58, son-in-law of former President Nixon, to suspend his campaign. Cox has been considering a return to the race.
Pirro, 54, is in her third elected term as district attorney in affluent Westchester County, north of New York City.
When she announced that she would not seek a fourth term, she said she would run for statewide office -- either for governor, to succeed Pataki, who is stepping down after three terms, or attorney general, to succeed Eliot Spitzer, the leading Democratic candidate for governor, or for U.S. Senate against Clinton.
When Pirro launched the Senate bid against the Democrat, her announcement speech was marred by an embarrassing 30-second silence after she lost a page of her prepared remarks. Then her fund-raising got off to a slow start, raising less than $500,000 in her first month.
Clinton, 58, seeking re-election for the first time, had nearly $14 million in her campaign coffers as of September 30. Her next Federal Election Commission report will have year-end figures. She spent $30 million in her 2000 race.
A majority of 62 Republican county chairs meeting last week in Albany announced their belief that Pirro should quit the Senate race but did not agree on a substitute candidate.
"We know at some point the Republicans will sort out this process and choose a nominee," said Clinton adviser Howard Wolfson. "In the meantime, Sen. Clinton will continue focusing on being the best senator she can be and delivering for the people of New York."
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/21/ny.pirro/index.html
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Jeanine Pirro, the longtime prosecutor who had been set to run against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton next year, has decided to drop out of the U.S. Senate race in New York, Republican Party officials confirmed Wednesday.
Pirro will instead run for state attorney general, an adviser said.
"This is the job that she really wants to do," the adviser said. "She's more familiar with the issues. That's what it comes down to."
Pirro is expected to announce the switch publicly by the end of the week, a party official said.
The official added that the candidate already has discussed her plans with state party officials -- state Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, who publicly called for her to change races, and Gov. George Pataki, who had endorsed Pirro when she entered the race in August.
Pataki's endorsement caused Pirro's main rival for the Republican nomination, Ed Cox, 58, son-in-law of former President Nixon, to suspend his campaign. Cox has been considering a return to the race.
Pirro, 54, is in her third elected term as district attorney in affluent Westchester County, north of New York City.
When she announced that she would not seek a fourth term, she said she would run for statewide office -- either for governor, to succeed Pataki, who is stepping down after three terms, or attorney general, to succeed Eliot Spitzer, the leading Democratic candidate for governor, or for U.S. Senate against Clinton.
When Pirro launched the Senate bid against the Democrat, her announcement speech was marred by an embarrassing 30-second silence after she lost a page of her prepared remarks. Then her fund-raising got off to a slow start, raising less than $500,000 in her first month.
Clinton, 58, seeking re-election for the first time, had nearly $14 million in her campaign coffers as of September 30. Her next Federal Election Commission report will have year-end figures. She spent $30 million in her 2000 race.
A majority of 62 Republican county chairs meeting last week in Albany announced their belief that Pirro should quit the Senate race but did not agree on a substitute candidate.
"We know at some point the Republicans will sort out this process and choose a nominee," said Clinton adviser Howard Wolfson. "In the meantime, Sen. Clinton will continue focusing on being the best senator she can be and delivering for the people of New York."
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/12/21/ny.pirro/index.html