Attorney Wendy Long and Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge in their bid for the Republican nomination in New York’s U.S. Senate race. The winner of the Republican primary will face incumbent Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand this November in the general election.
In a controversial 2009 appointment, Incumbent Sen. Gillibrand was chosen by then New York Gov. David Paterson to fill the vacancy left by Hilary Rodham Clinton as she accepted her new position as Secretary of State. Sen. Gillibrand defended her Senate seat in a 2010 special election, from which she emerged victorious. Gillibrand’s easy victory in 2010 came as a result of a struggling Republican field, which failed to nominate a first tier challenger and capitalize on an opportunity to win the temporarily vulnerable seat.
Though the Cook Political Report has rated the 2012 New York U.S. Senate race as “Solid Democrat”, Republicans believe that a strong fiscally conservative candidate will pose a serious threat to the incumbent Democrat’s supposedly safe seat. As tomorrow's Primary approaches, two candidates meeting this description have emerged.
By signing the Pledge, Long and Maragos have made a written commitment to the taxpayers of New York to, “oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses … and oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.”