Press release:
Chris Collins’ decision to suspend his campaign is good news for New York State and good news for America. This will be a trying time for him and his family but the era of corruption he represents must come to an end.
"This tragic tale is yet another example of how a corrupt party machine has consistently betrayed the people of the 27th Congressional District," Democratic congressional candidate Nate McMurray said today.
“It’s absolutely true that Chris Collins should not be running for this or any other seat, a fact that the local Republican Party knew full well when they endorsed and celebrated him while he was under investigation for securities fraud,” McMurray said.
“And now the same machine that relentlessly attacked me for daring to question Mr. Collins’ record is attempting to get rid of him while gaming the system in order to hold on to a seat they can no longer win,” McMurray said. “New Yorkers and Americans are sick of this kind of charade and they are right to be.
“And it is a continuing disgrace that both parties have not said, with one clear voice, 'resign, Mr. Collins, and do it today.’ Well, let me do it for them: Mr. Collins, a suspension is one thing but it is time for you to resign. Do it today.”
McMurray said that Collins’ arrest earlier this week on insider trading charges has brought attention to a race and a region previously overlooked by national media and political insiders.
“Pundits who a week ago couldn’t pronounce my name or tell the difference between Hamburg, New York and Hamburg, Germany are now laser-focused on this campaign,” McMurray said.
“But my focus has never wavered. I want to be an independent voice for the people who work two jobs and still struggle to meet their mortgage and their health care bills, the forgotten working and middle-class families who will pay the price for the tax cuts and insider deals that make Chris Collins and his friends rich. I know what it is to struggle, and I want to help others in their struggle as well.
“In a sense, the contest for the 27th has changed dramatically in the past few days but fundamentally the issues are the same,” McMurray said. “It’s still about breaking a failed system that serves itself and putting the power back in the hands of the people. That’s what I have stood for since Day 1, and that’s what I will stand for come January 1 in Washington, D.C.”
