Turner Wants To Move On Up…To The Senate

After less than six months in the House of Representatives, freshman Congressman Bob Turner said he's ready to step up to the Senate.

It's not a difficult decision since his 9th Congressional district is being eliminated as New York loses two of its 29 House seats. 

Turner, a Republican and a Roman Catholic, won big last September in the heavily-Democratic and heavily-Jewish Queens-Brooklyn 9th which had been represented by the Anthony Weiner until a Tweet scandal drove him to early retirement,

Turner, 70, soundly defeated David Weprin, an Orthodox Jew, in a race some saw as a referendum on President Barack Obama's policy toward Israel as well as the Orthodox Jewish anger over Weprin's endorsement of gay marriage.

New York Republicans this week will meet in Rochester to consider candidates to challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.  She was appointed to complete the term of Sen. Hillary Clinton, who became Secretary of State in 2009.  Gillibranc easily won a special election in 2010 and is now running for a full six-year term.

Gillibrand, 45, previously served one term in the House representing New York's 20th district. The Associated Press reports her poll numbers are strong and she has already raised more than $8 million for the race.

Turner is one of at least four Republicans seeking the Senate nomination. 

He sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and within three months of his election visited Israel