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Clinton's challenger opts out
Republican Jeanine Pirro ends her troubled campaign for New York's U.S. Senate seat.
Associated Press
Published December 22, 2005
ALBANY, N.Y. - After weeks of pressure from her own party to drop out, Republican Jeanine Pirro abandoned her campaign to unseat Sen. Hillary Clinton, saying Wednesday that she will run for New York attorney general instead.
"I have decided that my law enforcement background better qualifies me for a race for New York state attorney general than a race for the United States Senate," Pirro, the Westchester County district attorney, said in a statement.
With her campaign against Clinton in trouble, Pirro had been under strong pressure from top state GOP leaders to make the switch.
The move leaves Republicans with two active candidates for the Senate nomination: former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer and a less well-known tax attorney from the Catskills region, William Brenner.
Some supporters expect New York lawyer Edward Cox, a son-in-law of former President Richard Nixon, to consider re-entering the Senate race. Cox withdrew in October after Republican Gov. George Pataki endorsed Pirro.
Polls had shown Clinton, a potential 2008 presidential contender, with big leads over Pirro. As of the end of September, Clinton had about $14-million in her campaign coffers.
[Last modified December 22, 2005, 00:59:14]
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