Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Leon Koziol Drops Out of the Race?

It has been a funny thing, reading on the Leon Koziol for Congress blog, how much the writer there has been writing about the State Senate race and not the congressional race at all...

...until the word got out this morning that Leon Koziol intends to drop out of the race for Congress, run for State Senate instead, and endorse Michael Arcuri.

The real question is whether Michael Arcuri and the Oneida County Democrats will lend their support to the right wing Koziol in return for the withdrawal from the congressional race. Supporting an eccentric right wing Democrat for State Senate in order to further Michael Arcuri's political ambitions would not be a very graceful maneuver for the Oneida County Democratic Committee.

There's no word out on the blogosphere, and the last newspaper article on Google's news search that writes about Leon Koziol was on April 5.

So, we're still looking for official confirmation, but it looks like Koziol is out - if he was ever really in to begin with.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Anybody could see Kozial was never really in this race. He barely got around to filling out paperwork, never had a web site, fizzled out after the first week. He dropped out because he didnt even have a prayer worth of support in his own home town, Nobody had make any deals with this guy, there is no way he could win, but he probably will try to run for something else because he's dying to get elected to something and loves publicity.

Anonymous said...

"The real question is whether Michael Arcuri and the Oneida County Democrats will lend their support to the right wing Koziol in return for the withdrawal from the congressional race."

The real answer? Of course!

Anonymous said...

Hey, the simple fact that you didn't see this coming months ago shows how detached from the inside of "real" politics you are.

Koziol couldn't win, but he certainly could have hurt Arcuri and helped split up the vote with Les Roberts. This is why Roberts walked out of the Roselawn pissed off as soon as he found out the events taking place. He will be next, he doesn't stand a chance in hell. He will be embarrased by Arcuri.

Now, think of this...Griffo and JUlian hate eachother, Griffo gets the Conservative line, Julian gets the Independence line...They beat the crap out of eachother in the primary, then whoever loses, stays on the ballot in November splitting up the Republican vote...KOZIOL WINS.

NOW, my friend, that is politics, and that is why Oneida County will never lose one of these seats.

Anonymous said...

On Tuesday, the Rome Sentinel reported "Utica lawyer Leon Koziol had earlier said he was running for Congress but has now changed direction and is seeking the Democratic nomination to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Meier." The Utica O-D claimed that he would "announce his decision by the end of the week," but meanwhile, last night the Oneida County Dem committee did not endorse for that Senate seat while endorsing for a variety of others. OC's own county legislator William Morehouse is already running, so it remains to be seen whether OC eats its young.

24thIndependent said...

This much about what the 11:25 anonymous said is right:

I am detached from insider politics, and proud of it.

Anonymous said...

Here's the Democrat Committee vote:
46,476 weighted votes for Arcuri to 1,562 weighted votes for Roberts, Koz didn't get any.

Anonymous said...

24 Democrat, sounds like Anonymous 11:25 is detached to. Assumes Kozial will win a primary or even be endorsed or that Morehouse wont stay in the race and do the same thing julian and griffo do, if that was the "insider" plan it would be pretty scarey to talk about it on a blog. Thats why they call them "inside" plans and thats why they dont share them with people who would blog them. Like I said before it looks like the guy is just going down the list of whats available to run for.

Anonymous said...

Of course, this is the same Koziol campaign that said they were in it to win and would stay in all the way 'til the primary.

Take their word at what value you will.

Anonymous said...

Oh lord, Leon Kozial in the New York State Senate? Scary thought...

Anonymous said...

Since when does Onieda County get to push around a district as large and diverse as the 24th?

Anonymous said...

Nobody is pushing anybody around. However, I'm no kid and I can't recall when the last senator or congressman came from another county, but I could be wrong. Nobody said it was the way it HAD to be, but it does seem that Oneida is the most proactive county when it comes to coming up with viable, winnable candidates and rallying around those candidates from either party. They also have their own right to endorse or not endorse the candidate of their choice, same as everybody else. The State Democratic party sure didn't twist any arms to get Arcuri an endorsement. He is hugely popular in Oneida County. Nobody could even touch him in his DA races. Always a landslide or an unopposed race, NOT because it was a "deal" but because nobody wanted to run against his ability to get the votes. Believe me, Emperor Ray Meier has huge support from his party, and they will pour the money onto his annointed self, and it is just plain folly not to force him to face off with a candidate who has proven he can do just as well as or better than Meier on election day. We have to get rid of these neocons before they finish us off completely and turn off the lights.

Anonymous said...

Brad Jones is going to whup Ray Meier.

Meier is pure lightweight Oneida County.

Anonymous said...

Re 10:32 AM: It's apples and oranges, though, because the region has been redistricted beyond recognition. I was never in District 24 until recently--and neither was Boehlert! So you can't say that historically there's any pattern at all, because the districts have changed completely since 1992.

Anonymous said...

Norway it's not really apples and oranges. Regardless of redistricting, as long as I have been in Oneida county with whomEVER was in the same district as Oneida County, the congressman from the district in has come from Oneida County. That is the way it has been, both pre and apres redistricting. I am not saying it is right, I am simply saying history bears it out. But I could be wrong. If someone would name another in the past 50 years, I would be happy to hear it.

Anonymous said...

I just want to know one thing....

did planet koziol change orbit after this news was announced???

Anonymous said...

It's been Republican for 50 years, according to J Hicks of the NYTimes. And that's for sure because of Oneida County.

Anonymous said...

I love the posting about Oneida picking winning candidates. They have done such a good job that I have been represented by a Republican for the last 24 years. Keep going guys! You keep picking Democratic candidates and my guys will keep winning! It is good to be a Republican in the 24th. Thanks, Oneida Dems!

Anonymous said...

Koziol never had a chance. Get real