NRCC meets with potential challengers to N.Y. Rep. Maffei

{mosads}According to Capital Tonight, Walden met with three potential Republican challengers: former Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, from whom Maffei took the seat in 2012 and who hasn’t ruled out a bid; Onondaga County Comptroller Bob Antonacci and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney.

NRCC spokesman Ian Prior told the site that the NRCC “is absolutely looking to flip NY-24,”because Maffei is “a weak candidate with a misguided party-line mentality and a record of questionable decision making while in office.”

“In a mid-term election without Maffei hanging for his political life on the coattails of the President, we are confident that, with the right Republican candidate, Maffei will suffer the same fate as he did in 2010 – defeat,” Prior said, and confirmed that Walden was in the area meeting with potential candidates.

Maffei has been in and out of office over the past three cycles, first getting elected in 2008, only to be ousted by Buerkle in 2010 before regaining his seat again in 2012. While President Obama won the district by more than 15 points in 2012, Maffei won with about a six-point lead, and his previous defeats have Republicans optimistic about their chances in 2014.