John Jay grad may be Hall foe
By Brian Tumulty
Journal Washington Bureau

November 22, 2007

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. John Hall could have a new Republican challenger as soon as Sunday.

Kieran Michael Lalor of Peekskill, a 1994 graduate of John Jay High School in East Fishkill and a 31-year-old ex-Marine who served in Iraq in 2003, said he plans to announce then whether he will seek the Republican nomination for the 19th Congressional District seat.

"I'm leaning toward it," Lalor said Wednesday, a day after Republican businessman Andrew Saul of Katonah announced he was withdrawing for personal reasons.

The 19th District includes Putnam County and parts of Westchester, Dutchess, Rockland and Orange counties.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Saul's withdrawal "only shows how strong a member of Congress John Hall is and what a fantastic job he is doing representing New York families.

Hall, a freshman Democrat from Dover who founded the pop-rock band Orleans in the 1970s, is a top national target for the GOP. Hall raised more than $1 million for his re-election campaign through the end of September, according to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Ken Spain, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said the search for a candidate to replace Saul has begun.

It's doubtful Republican Party leaders will back a political novice such as Lalor unless they cannot find a well-known elected official or wealthy Republican to commit his or her personal wealth to what promises to be an expensive campaign, according to political handicapper Stuart Rothenberg.

Lalor formed a committee several months ago to explore the possibility of entering the race, but has declined to say how much money he has raised.

He graduated from Pace Law School in May and works a graveyard shift as a security guard at New York Medical School in Valhalla.

A father of two girls under the age of two, Lalor said he has been working nights while his wife works a day shift as an elementary school teacher in Rockland County.

Saul, a multimillionaire whose family owns a chain of women's stores, was expected to self-finance most of the cost of the race, and raised more than $780,000 for the campaign through the end of September.

He also serves as vice chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Authority Board, having received the appointment by former Republican Gov. George Pataki.

Last week, The New York Daily News called for the resignation of Saul and two other MTA board members in an editorial that pointed out they "skipped every single public hearing on the proposed fare and toll hikes. Couldn't be bothered to show up for even one."

The New York Times reported last weekend Saul received several questionable campaign contributions, including money from the chairman of Danaher, a company that does contract work for the MTA, in apparent violation of state ethics laws. Executives of real estate developers seeking MTA approval for the rights to develop the West Side rail yards in Manhattan donated to his campaign, the story reported.

Saul's withdrawal is a major setback for Republicans, who already are faced with the task of coming up with candidates to replace 18 GOP incumbents not seeking re-election in 2008.