Tea Party candidate Claudia Tenney is facing a difficult challenge in her fight against moderate Republican Richard Hanna in their June 24th primary.
But Conservatives are beginning to line up behind Tenney in New York’s 22nd congressional district, and the Marine Mom just picked up her biggest endorsement to date in nationally syndicated radio and television host, Sean Hannity.
As reported here at Legal Insurrection, a flood of “false flag” Super PAC ads – to the tune of over $700,000 – have been launched in an effort to distort both candidates records, portraying Tenney as less of a conservative, and Hanna as more of one. The ads, along with Hanna’s rhetoric as being a man about “conservative solutions,” are false.
Aside from the Super PAC onslaught, Tenney herself only has $150,000 in the war chest according to a radio interview yesterday, and is facing an incumbent that weeks ago had a Cantor-esque lead in the polls. Like David Brat before her though, Tenney has the ability to turn that poll upside down, and pull off a similar upset. But she needs support in the form of endorsements from high-profile conservatives to get across the finish line.
Professor Jacobson recently wrote:
Hanna has more money and large PACs behind him. I think the tide could change in these last days, but it might take a big name political endorsement to help offset the PAC ads and reset the false narrative.
After our “false flag” piece went live last weekend, RedState’s Erick Erickson responded almost immediately with an endorsement of Tenney, while conservative media members such as Laura Ingraham and Michelle Malkin lent support via Twitter. The buzz was buoyed by a column that Malkin wrote in support of Tenney, in which she called out the “laughable lies of liberal Republicans” in New York’s 22nd, and labeled Tenney “as rock-solid of a Republican as they come: pro-life, pro-limited government, pro-Second Amendment, pro-entrepreneur, pro-American worker.”
John Fund, a columnist with the National Review, also chimed in asking “Is Claudia Tenney the Next David Brat?” Fund writes that if there is to be a David Brat-style upset, the most likely source would be the “economically struggling” upstate New York area from which this race hails.
Now, conservative talk show and Fox News television host, Sean Hannity has provided a much needed endorsement for Tenney.
Via Binghamton Homepage:
Republican Congressional Candidate Claudia Tenney received an endorsement from a nationally known radio and television host this afternoon.Conservative Sean Hannity backed Tenney in her bid to unseat two-term Congressman Richard Hanna….She says she’s grateful for the support and hopes Hannity’s recommendation will get through to residents who are listening to his shows.”I just appeared on his radio show and he endorsed me. I’m very proud to have that as well since he is obviously a nationally known conservative commentator. It’s an honor,” said Tenney.
Tenney’s interview with Sean Hannity can be heard here, beginning at the 16:40 mark.
While Tenney is certainly welcoming these high-profile endorsements, along with those from the local and National Tea Party Patriots organizations, she could still use a big name political endorsement from a big name conservative politician.
Will someone jump on board to help Tenney fight the false narrative being delivered by establishment Republicans in New York? And more importantly, will they do so before it’s too late?
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