Prometheus 6

Staten Island is perverse like that...

Scramble Begins for Staten Island Congressional Seat to Be Vacated by Fossella
By JONATHAN P. HICKS

The decision by Vito J. Fossella not to seek another term in Congress has roiled the political waters of his reliably Republican district, as both parties are searching for consensus candidates to succeed him when his term ends in January.

The departure of Mr. Fossella might seem to present the Democrats with a major opportunity, but the party’s leaders have yet to agree on a candidate, and disputes have broken out over whether the candidate should come from the Staten Island or Brooklyn side of the district.

Mr. Fossella’s decision is not clearly a blow to the Republicans. District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan Jr., a proven vote-getter, has gained support among party leaders in Staten Island and Washington, and State Senator Andrew J. Lanza is also being widely considered.

Mr. Fossella, 43, announced in a statement on Tuesday morning that he would not seek a sixth full term in November. He was arrested on May 1 on charges of driving while intoxicated and admitted soon after that he had fathered a daughter, who is now 3, out of wedlock.

In the nearly three weeks since his arrest, there has been a great deal of speculation that he might resign or not seek re-election. In a sign of his popularity in the district, it appears that potential successors in both parties did not take concrete steps to run while they waited for him to decide.

“There is a lot of confusion going on right now,” said Guy V. Molinari, the former Staten Island borough president and dean of the island’s Republicans. “Everybody is looking at everybody else and trying to figure out who the candidates will be. Nothing is clear right now.”

There will be meetings among leaders of both parties in the coming days to try to clarify who their candidates will be. The period for collecting signatures to quality for the ballot begins June 3.

Developments in the district are being closely watched in Washington, where Democrats believe they have a strong chance to take the seat for the first time in 28 years. Despite the high hopes, the Democrats are not organized, and several potential candidates are considering entering the race.