Group suing Cuomo to force House special election

Pressure is building on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to call a special election to replace former Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.).

Staten Island Live reported on Friday that a group is suing Cuomo in an attempt to force him to call the special election for New York’s 11th District.

National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden (Ore.) has also expressed frustration with Cuomo for not moving to fill the seat yet.

“Three-quarters of a million of New Yorkers have no representation in Congress and he needs to declare the vacancy and begin the process of calling the special election,” Walden said last month.

Grimm resigned before the new Congress began after pleading guilty to one county of tax evasion. He coasted to reelection in 2014 by double digits despite a 20-count indictment hanging over his head.



The Staten Island district leans conservative, and Republicans have rallied around Daniel Donovan, the Staten Island prosecutor at the center of the investigation into the death of Eric Garner, as their candidate.

After Cuomo calls for the special election, it is required to take place 70 to 80 days later. But the New York governor has discretion on when to call it, and he could wait until next fall, which would leave the seat open until the next general election.

He hasn’t given an indication yet of what he plans to do.

New York Democrats suffered a loss last month when their top pick for the special election, Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-N.Y.), said he wouldn’t run. No other Democrat has entered the race yet.