AUBURN - Dr. David Walrath has decided to once again try and unseat Congressman Sherwood Boehlert.
Walrath, a former Cayuga County legislator, announced Tuesday he will seek the Republican nomination for the congressional seat held by Boehlert that covers most of Cayuga County.
In the 2002 Republican primary, Walrath, a Sennett surgeon , nearly defeated the 10-term Republican congressman from New Hartford. Boehlert beat him by a wide margin in the general election when Walrath ran on the Conservative ballot line.
Walrath has accused Boehlert of being too liberal a Republican to represent the 24th Congressional District.
"For too long, we have experienced the loss of our best and brightest people, industry and good jobs in central New York," Walrath said in a prepared statement announcing his entrance into the race. "Our platform will be about job creation for our region, while preserving the core Republican values of lower taxes and responsible government spending.
"My candidacy represents the Republican wing of the Republican party, whereas my opponent represents the John Kerry wing of the Republican party," Walrath wrote.
"In this context, Mr. Boehlert's experience did not save Griffiss Air Force Base, bring the bio-lab to Central New York or make the thousands of manufacturing jobs stay in the region," Walrath wrote.
"Simply put, the standard to return an incumbent to office should be performance, not seniority."
As the chairman of the House Science Committee, Boehlert oversees $30 billion in research and development for agencies such as NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Science Foundation.
He said he focuses his work in Congress on economic development, education and the environment.
In 2002, Boehlert spent nearly $1 million on the race to Walrath's $80,000. Of that, $50,000 was a personal loan Walrath took against his property.
The money this time, Walrath said, will be closer.
According to his press release, Walrath's committee has raised more than $110,000 in just over a month, and expects to receive "well over $200,000 from Conservative Republican groups nationally in the coming months."
So far, Boehlert has raised just over $850,000. He has not officially announced he will run, but said that is his intention and a formal announcement is imminent.
Also contending for the seat are two Democratic candidates, Tom Miller of New Hartford and Brian Goodell of Ithaca. Miller is an associate professor of communications at Utica College. Goodell is president of the United Auto Workers Local 2300 at Cornell University. Both men said they would seek a primary for their party's ballot line.
The 24th Congressional District includes all or parts of 11 counties: Broome, Cayuga, Chenago, Cortland, Herkimer, Oneida, Ontario, Otsego, Seneca, Tioga and Tompkins.
Staff writer Louise Hoffman Broach can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or louise.hoffman@lee.net
In the 2002 Republican primary, Walrath, a Sennett surgeon , nearly defeated the 10-term Republican congressman from New Hartford. Boehlert beat him by a wide margin in the general election when Walrath ran on the Conservative ballot line.
Walrath has accused Boehlert of being too liberal a Republican to represent the 24th Congressional District.
"For too long, we have experienced the loss of our best and brightest people, industry and good jobs in central New York," Walrath said in a prepared statement announcing his entrance into the race. "Our platform will be about job creation for our region, while preserving the core Republican values of lower taxes and responsible government spending.
"My candidacy represents the Republican wing of the Republican party, whereas my opponent represents the John Kerry wing of the Republican party," Walrath wrote.
"In this context, Mr. Boehlert's experience did not save Griffiss Air Force Base, bring the bio-lab to Central New York or make the thousands of manufacturing jobs stay in the region," Walrath wrote.
"Simply put, the standard to return an incumbent to office should be performance, not seniority."
As the chairman of the House Science Committee, Boehlert oversees $30 billion in research and development for agencies such as NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Science Foundation.
He said he focuses his work in Congress on economic development, education and the environment.
In 2002, Boehlert spent nearly $1 million on the race to Walrath's $80,000. Of that, $50,000 was a personal loan Walrath took against his property.
The money this time, Walrath said, will be closer.
According to his press release, Walrath's committee has raised more than $110,000 in just over a month, and expects to receive "well over $200,000 from Conservative Republican groups nationally in the coming months."
So far, Boehlert has raised just over $850,000. He has not officially announced he will run, but said that is his intention and a formal announcement is imminent.
Also contending for the seat are two Democratic candidates, Tom Miller of New Hartford and Brian Goodell of Ithaca. Miller is an associate professor of communications at Utica College. Goodell is president of the United Auto Workers Local 2300 at Cornell University. Both men said they would seek a primary for their party's ballot line.
The 24th Congressional District includes all or parts of 11 counties: Broome, Cayuga, Chenago, Cortland, Herkimer, Oneida, Ontario, Otsego, Seneca, Tioga and Tompkins.
Staff writer Louise Hoffman Broach can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or louise.hoffman@lee.net
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