BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- Republican Richard Hanna is in his second term at the helm of the 22nd Congressional District, but some people in his own party are looking for a change.
"We desperately need an effective, consistent and new voice in Congress. I dare not imagine the shame and isolation that Representative Richard Hanna will bring to the people of the district of New York if he remains in office,” said Michael Vasquez, who is a political commentator in the Southern Tier.
Assemblywoman Claudia Tenney on Monday announced her plans to challenge Hanna for the Republican nomination.
"Now is the time to elect someone who is not part of the Washington establishment or the bloated federal bureaucracy; one who had the courage to challenge political power brokers and the energy to fight for all of us,” said Tenney as she announced her candidacy.
Hanna declined to comment on his plans for next year.
Tenney, a small business owner and attorney from New Hartford, ran unsuccessfully against Hanna in 2014. She claims Hanna betrays Republican and conservative values.
“I thought that he was not standing up for our Republican principles as our Republican representative in Congress. I didn't think he was standing up for our small business owners, our family farms, and the people who are most impacted by big government policies that he supported,” said Tenney.
While no Democratic candidates have come forward yet, party chairs say they have been talking with a few people who have expressed interest, and whoever decides to run will face a challenge.
"Binghamton to Utica is a lot of territory, and it's a very different territory, so you have that. You need the organization, you need the financial support and you need the time to go out and put all of it together,” said James Testani, the Broome County Democratic Committee Chairman.
Officials say they expect to announce the Democratic challenger in the next month.