U.S. House, New York - 29th District
Southern Tier -- Elmira, Corning; Rochester suburbs
Race Forecast: Leans Democratic
2008: Rep.
2006: Rep.
Kuhl became the latest in a series of Republicans to grab national headlines, and backlash from Democrats, for incendiary remarks when a video emerged last week in which he said Democrats want the American public to suffer so they could make political gains. Kuhl already was vulnerable heading into the rematch after Massa held him to 51 percent of the vote in 2006 despite the Southern Tier district’s strong GOP lean -- Bush got his best results in the state (56 percent) in 2004. Massa has out-raised the incumbent over the course of the election and had slightly more cash heading into October and the final stretch of the race while Democrats made Kuhl a top target for ‘08, but Massa still is fighting a generic Republican lead.
Race Information
- Incumbent: Eric Massa, D
- First Elected: 2008 (1st term)
- Last Elected: 2006 (48.54%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: Leans Democratic
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
The 29th blankets much of the southwestern portion of New York known as the Southern Tier, encompassing a mix of forests, lakes, farms and small towns. It also reaches north to take in the western half of the Finger Lakes region and some of Rochester’s suburbs.
Agriculture helps drive the economy, mostly through dairy farms and wineries. The Finger Lakes and surrounding parks draw thousands of visitors annually, and the Finger Lakes region is the largest wine-producing area by volume outside of California.
In the north, the 29th takes in southern parts of Monroe County outside Rochester, where a plurality of the district’s residents live. It wraps around the west, south and east sides of the city, taking in mostly GOP-leaning towns such as Chili and Pittsford.
The 29th’s westernmost point is Cattaraugus County, a rural area that includes Allegany State Park and St. Bonaventure University. To the east, Republicans hold a better than 2-1 registration advantage over Democrats in Allegany, Steuben and Yates counties. Steuben County contains Corning, one of the better-known U.S. company towns due to its glass products and costly crystal pieces. Neighboring Elmira, located in Chemung, is home to aircraft construction, fire hydrant and bottle manufacturing plants. Olean, in Cattaraugus, hosts the headquarters of kitchen cutlery maker CUTCO.
Republicans hold an edge over Democrats in voter registration here, and despite the district’s large presence of blue-collar workers, George W. Bush had his best showing in the state in the 29th in both the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. The 29th also has the lowest percentage of Hispanic residents (1 percent) in any New York district.
Major Industry
Agriculture, manufacturing, tourism
Cities
Elmira, 30,940; Brighton (unincorporated) (pt.), 25,869
Notable
Watkins Glen International race track (“The Glen”) is just south of Seneca Lake outside the village of Watkins Glen in Schuyler County.
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 654,361
- Under 18: 25%
- Over 65: 14%
- Married: 56.4%
- Non-Hispanic White: 93%
- Black: 3%
- Hispanic: 1%
- Asian: 2%
- Foreign Born: 4.2%
- Language other than English: 6.7%
- Median Household Income: 41,875
- Owner Occupied Housing: 74%
- Income above $200k: 2
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 61.3%
- Blue Collar: 23.8%
- Services: 14.9%
- Bachelor's Degree: 26%
- Graduate Education: 11.5%
- Civilian Veterans: 69,554
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | Eric Massa (D) | 131,646 | 50.8% |
| John Kuhl (R) | 127,232 | 49.2% | ||
| 2006 | general | John Kuhl (R, INDC, C) | 106,077 | 51.4% |
| Eric Massa (D, WFM) | 100,044 | 48.5% | ||
| 2004 | general | John Kuhl (R) | 136,883 | 50.7% |
| Samara Barend (D, WFM) | 110,241 | 40.8% | ||
| Mark Assini (C) | 17,272 | 6.4% | ||
| John Ciampoli (INDC) | 5,819 | 2.2% | ||
| 2002 | general | Amo Houghton (R, C) | 127,657 | 73.1% |
| Kisun Peters (D) | 37,128 | 21.3% | ||
| Wendy Johnson (RTL) | 5,836 | 3.3% | ||
| Rachel Treichler (GREEN) | 4,010 | 2.3% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 42% | George W. Bush: 56% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 43% | George W. Bush: 54% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NACHBAR, DAVID (D) | October 15, 2008 | $219,217.00 | $219,216.00 | $15,750.00 | |||
| LAFALCE, JOHN J (D) | September 30, 2008 | $22,469.00 | $68,520.00 | $438,711.00 | |||
| KOLB, BRIAN M (R) | September 30, 2008 | $154.00 | $89.00 | $3,000.00 | |||
| MASSA, ERIC J J (D) | November 24, 2008 | $2,112,880.00 | $2,056,612.00 | $94,847.00 | $1,472,460.00 | $66,086.00 | $54,943.00 |
| KUHL, JOHN (R) | November 24, 2008 | $1,498,196.00 | $1,451,935.00 | $138,642.00 | $571,316.00 | $61,944.00 | |
