April 5, 2007

First Republican steps forward to challenge Hall in 2008

Peekskill – Iraqi war veteran and former Marine Kiernan Lalor has launched an exploratory committee to test the waters for a possible run against freshman Democratic Congressman John Hall of Dover Plains. Lalor is a Republican who said he has raised $20,000 in the first quarter of this year.

Lalor, of Peekskill, said he can “protect the country” better than Hall, claiming he knows the war against terrorism first hand having served in Iraq. He would fight to keep taxes down, saying Hall voted for a huge tax hike,

“Not achieving our objective in Iraq would be catastrophic. Al Qaeda would be emboldened; Iraq would be emboldened,” he said. “John Hall went to the floor of the House of Representatives last month and said ‘we can’t win.’ He gave up. He told the enemy, “I am a federal elected official and I am giving up. Al Qaeda, radical Islam, you’ve won and the Americans have lost’.”

Lalor, a former teacher, is finishing up law school. He noted that he is in a union, a reference to Hall’s being a member of a musicians union, and a supporter of the causes of the working person.

© 2007 Mid-Hudson News Network