New York's 13th District is another open Republican seat, made more vulnerable by scandal involving the current Member. Vito Fossella was arrested for drunk driving in Alexandria, Virginia earlier this year. A week later he confessed that he had been involved in an extra-marital affair with the woman who had bailed him, and had fathered a child were her. By the end of the month he announced that he would not stand in this year's House election. Fossella was controversial for a number of other reasons.The District covers Staten Island plus adjacent neighbourhoods across the Verrazano Narrow Bridge in south west Brooklyn. It has the highest percentage of residents of Italian ancestry in the nation. The main industries are Health Care (Staten Island University Hospital); Retail; Communications and Construction.
Primaries will be held on 9th September. Details of candidates standing for each party can be found at http://www.elections.state.ny.us:8080/reports/rwservlet?cmdkey=candidate_32_statewide_cgs. The New York Times website is http://www.nytimes.com/
