Colton Drops Out Of Congressional Race Citing Timing

The pickings just got slimmer for Democrats in the race to replace disgraced Congressman Michael Grimm.

State Assemblyman Bill Colton announced Sunday that he will not be participating in the 11th District congressional race, just two days after Governor Andrew Cuomo was forced by a federal judge to call a special election.

Though Colton, who was seriously pursuing candidacy last month, said he is confident that he and his supporters were poised to win in “a major upset” for the district, the assigned election date of May 5 would not work with his obligations to the State Assembly.

“In fact, I am required to be in Albany, working on the budget and other critical legislation, for all but two weeks between now and May 5,” he said in a statement.

The Staten Island Democrats have yet to choose a candidate to oppose popular Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan, the Republican candidate. In addition to Colton, the party has interviewed Councilman Vincent Gentile and Robert Holst, a Staten Island electrician and union advocate. The vice chair of the Staten Island Democratic Party, John Sollazzo, also expressed interest in running for the congressional seat last week.

Cuomo only called the election Friday after several Republicans from Staten Island filed a lawsuit, on which a federal judge ruled that the governor had to make the call triggering the congressional race.

Political pundits have speculated that liberals were hoping to hold off on the elections, allowing them to coincide with the 2016 presidential race, which might empower the Democratic Party in right-leaning Staten Island. When the governor slammed the judge’s order last week, he cited fiscal concerns, saying it only made sense to align the congressional race with the 2016 presidential race.

“From their point of view, taxes don’t matter, spend, spend, spend. You know, I understand that. That’s why New York is one of the highest taxed states in the United States. Cost isn’t a matter—unless you’re paying. For the people who are paying, the cost, the cost is a consideration,” Cuomo told media outlets.