Jones Announces End Of Congressional Bid – FingerLakes1.com Archive

Sixteen months ago I made the decision to run for Congress because I felt the incumbent did not properly represent the values and interests of New York’s 24th Congressional District. As a conservative Republican, I announced a platform that focused on economic development, an end to the Indian Land Claim and energy independence. Although bringing these issues to light has been successful, the retirement of Congressman Sherwood Boehlert has dramatically changed the dynamics of this race and forced me to re-evaluate my plans. Although I have found the voters to be very supportive of my platform, I now face the challenge of raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover the ever increasing costs of campaigning. Additionally I now find myself potentially running in the primary against Ray Meier, a fellow conservative, whose platform is very similar to mine.Knowing how much a primary will cost and how it would damage the chance of the winner succeeding in the November 2006 General Election, I have made the decision to withdraw my name for candidacy for Congress and to offer my endorsement and support to Ray Meier. Ray Meier has confirmed that he will support:• Ethanol production in Central New York to benefit the local economy and agricultural community• Increased funding from the Army to help redevelop the Seneca Army Depot.• Rejection of the Indian’s Land-in-Trust application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Ray knows that I have made “accountability” a fundamental theme of my campaign and he fully understands the importance of these issues to the voters of Central New York.Knowing my platform will remain a critical part of this campaign, I would now like to introduce Ray Meier as our next Congressman and ask that you all give him a warm welcome and your personal support.