NY-29 is the open seat caused by the recent resignation of Eric Massa. Per Rochester's Channel 13, if there is a special election in NY-29, our candidate will be Matthew Zeller.
Zeller is a young (28) Army vet, and a specialist in counter-terrorism. This bit from a recent appearance back in March of this year at Hamilton College seems promising:
Zeller, upon arriving, became quickly disillusioned with the United States’ treatment of the conflict in Afghanistan. Newly-trained and outfitted members of Afghanistan’s police force were selling their AK47s as soon as they got them, humanitarian aid was almost nonexistent, and hospitals were in such need of medical supplies that doctors were forced to donate their own blood on an almost daily basis. In an area that had been occupied by the United States for years, Zeller felt as though the rebuilding process should have been much further along.
President Obama would do well to listen to this man.
As some of you know, it seems unlikely that Gov Patterson will call a special election. But in that case, Politico is reporting that local D leaders will be urging other candidates to stay out of the primary for the seat.
I can't say I know much about Zeller, but what I see is promising. What he says about Afghanistan makes him sound like an excellent progressive with the military and counter-terrorism credentials to back up what he says. His Linkedin profile suggests that he's currently an "independent contractor" with the Army. While he's still living near DC, that historically hasn't been a handicap for NY candidates.
Zeller is young (28) and articulate. He seems to have the credentials to be a great candidate. As an outsider, he doesn't have the baggage associated with Albany politicians.
More from the Rochester Ch 13 report
Zeller is a young candidate with connections throughout the district
Zeller, 28, is a Rochester area native with family throughout the 29th Congressional District and roots in the Southern Tier. Zeller is an '04 alum of Hamilton College and also earned master's degrees in public administration and international relations from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University in '06 according to a recent news release from Hamilton College.