Why Chris Jacobs ends NY reelection bid – Rep. Chris Jacobs dropped his bid for reelection to his Western New York district after facing fierce blowback from Republican leaders over his recently-announced support for an assault weapons ban in the wake of the Buffalo supermarket mass shooting last month.
His changing political fortunes, which included GOP leaders’ efforts to recruit a primary challenge against him if he did not drop out, comes amid fierce Republican opposition to any additional gun control measures following multiple mass shootings in recent weeks.
A litany of Republican hopefuls are jockeying to be his replacement – including former GOP gubernatorial nominee Carl Paladino, who has already received the endorsement of Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-North Country), the No. 3 House Republican.
“I am proud to announce my endorsement of my friend Carl Paladino. Carl is a job creator and conservative outsider who will provide Western New York and the Southern Tier with strong representation and leadership. Carl will be a tireless fighter for the people of New York in our fight to put America First to save the country,” she said.
“I think I can be an effective given my history and background. This area deserves a conservative representative.” Paladino, now 75, said. He joked that he likely won’t campaign with a baseball bat as he did when he ran for governor in 2010 and earned the nickname “Crazy Carl.”
