A local attorney has announced her intent to challenge Dan Maffei in the Democratic primary for New York’s 25th Congressional District.
Brianne Murphy, 31, a local labor and employment attorney, announced today her run for Congress. The seat is currently held by Ann Marie Buerkle, a Republican.
“People are hurting and Washington is broken,” Murphy said. “The person who represents the voters in central New York should reflect the values of central New York. We need a real advocate in Washington.”
Murphy will challenge Maffei, who, in 2008, earned the seat after swiftly beating Dale Sweetland. In 2010, the race between Maffei and Buerkle became one of the nation’s most watched races, as the winner was not declared for three weeks after election day. Each vote was hand-counted in the four-county district, leaving Buerkle with 648 more votes than Maffei. He announced his intent to run in 2012 this summer.
“This will not be an easy or typical campaign, but nothing worthwhile is,” Murphy said.
Murphy, an Irish immigrant, lives in her childhood home on Tipperary Hill. She has worked with local former Congressman Bill Walsh and on the Hilary Clinton campaign in Iowa.
The 25th district includes all of Onondaga and Wayne counties, parts of Cayuga and parts of three towns in northeast Monroe County.
