Democrat Nate McMurray on Sunday said his approach won't change, no matter who Republicans find to replace Rep. Chris Collins on the ballot. At the same time, the GOP began figuring out how it will sort through the numerous candidates[1] seeking the seat.
McMurray, the Grand Island supervisor, earlier this year launched an underdog challenge to the well-funded incumbent, a race upended by last week's indictment of the Clarence Republican and his announcement Saturday that he was suspending his campaign for re-election[2].
"My message is not going to change no matter who they throw in," McMurray said during an appearance Sunday morning on "Hardline," the WBEN radio program. "It's about jobs, jobs, jobs. Middle class, middle class, middle class."
McMurray said he wants Collins out of office, but he acknowledged the difficulty of taking on a well-funded incumbent with high name recognition. When given the choice between an indicted Collins and a generic Republican replacement, he responded that he'd prefer to run against the generic Republican.
In his radio appearance and in a lengthy post to his campaign's Facebook page, McMurray blasted Republican party leaders for ignoring ethics complaints about Collins for years and for acting to push him out of office only now, when it's in their best interest.
He also sought to portray himself as a centrist candidate, repeating his statement that he would not vote for Nancy Pelosi as speaker if Democrats take back the House and saying he hasn't decided whether to accept an endorsement from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
McMurray filled the vacuum left by Collins' departure from the race by answering questions on "Hardline" and publishing his sharply worded Facebook statement. It was an opportunity for the Democrat to introduce himself
