By Tom Grace
ONEONTA _ The 24th Congressional District race pits incumbent Democrat Michael Arcuri, 49, of Utica, against Republican Richard Hanna, 57, of Barneveld and Otsego.
Arcuri, a former Oneida County district attorney, defeated Republican state Sen. Raymond Meier two years ago to succeed Sherwood Boehlert, a Republican who had represented the district for more than two decades.
While that election cycle saw extensive negative advertising from national committees, this race has focused in part on the matter of campaign contributions. Hanna is largely self-funded, and he has criticized Arcuri's keeping money from controversial sources.
Hanna, a building contractor, told the editorial board of The Daily Star this week that he may be able to return this seat to the GOP.
``The polls have shown we have a very real chance,'' he said, noting that he is also running on the Conservative and Independence lines.
According to the New York State Board of Elections, 160,385 Republicans, 5,648 Conservatives and 17,016 members of the Independence Party _a total of 180,049 voters _ are registered in the district, which encompasses parts or all of 11 counties.
Arcuri will be listed on the Democratic and Working Families lines, which number 129,348 voters in the district. However, the district is also home to 75,458 unaffiliated, or ``independent'' voters, who could swing the election.
When asked by the editorial board to predict how well he'll do Nov. 4, Arcuri said, ``That's hard to say; these races are always close.''
He did predict that Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama will defeat Republican Sen. John McCain ``by four or five points in the district,'' which may help area Democrats.
On issues, the candidates exhibited shades of difference.
They each oppose the proposed New York Regional Interconnection power line.
On health care, Arcuri said he wants to make sure the uninsured receive coverage, and Hanna said he wants to preserve choice.
Arcuri wants to address energy issues in part by rebuilding mass transit systems, saying even ``19th century on-time rail service'' would be an improvement from the status quo.
Among other solutions, Hanna wants to spur domestic oil production by drilling ``off shore and in ANWR" _ the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Arcuri favors bringing home most American troops from Iraq within six to nine months.
``I think we have to get our troops home,'' he said. ``The Kurds are pushing for us to stay, but it's costing us $10 billion a month to be there, and the problems we're having with our economy are tied very clearly to Iraq.''
The military has been stressed by war and occupation with ``huge numbers'' of soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and others beset by divorce and even committing suicide, he noted.
Recently, Arcuri visited Afghanistan, and he said the United States must do more to train Afghan troops to withstand a resurgence of the Taliban. Asked about having other NATO nations contribute more to efforts in Afghanistan, he said, ``There's a very high degree of frustration with our allies, but I'm not sure we can push them any harder.''
Hanna said he opposes a timetable as long as the war seems winnable.
``I know it's costing us $10 billion a month, but we have to leave this place comfortable with itself and with Israel,'' he said.
Still, he said he believes Iraq is headed toward a more peaceful era, and ``we may be mostly out of there by June or July.''
Asked if his position on Iraq is closer to Obama's than McCain's, Hanna said he had previously been a Democrat and was not highly partisan. However if elected, he will caucus with House Republicans.
Hanna, who has contributed more than $324,000 to his own campaign, according to the Center For Responsive Politics, was highly critical of Arcuri for accepting contributions of $2,000 from Fannie Mae and $4,000 from House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., who is under investigation for allegedly not reporting all his income.
At about the time Arcuri received the Fannie Mae contribution, in July, he voted to bail out the mortgage lender, Hanna said.
Asked if he were implying Arcuri is corrupt, Hanna did not directly comment, saying keeping Rangel's contribution showed ``very poor judgment.''
When asked about Rangel's contribution, Arcuri noted the chairman has not been convicted.
According to the Center, as of Sept. 30, Arcuri had raised $1,459,529 _ none from himself _ and had $324,217 to spend. Hanna, who did not rule out contributing more to his campaign, had raised $664,634 and had $180,534 to spend.
