After beating back a well-financed Republican effort in 2004 and winning a seat held by Republicans for 12 years, Brian Higgins has become an electoral force to be reckoned with in Western New York, even winning a resounding 75% of the vote in a three-candidate race in 2008. Higgins' victories reflect an impressive ability to win votes across the 27th District's geographic strata. Liberal urban communities in the City of Buffalo, moderate suburban Buffalo areas and conservative rural communities in Chautauqua County don't have much in common -- but they all voted to send Brian Higgins back to Congress in huge numbers. This is the appeal Higgins has, and what he can bring to a statewide ticket.

Higgins' tenure in the House of Representatives indicates a depth of knowledge of the issues of concern to Upstate residents and a willingness to fight hard for Upstate's economic interests. During his first term he waged an unprecedented campaign for Western New York when he took on the New York State Power Authority, which for decades generated vast amounts of electricity in Western New York, only to ship it to other communities. Higgins won a record financial settlement to keep Power Authority revenues in Western New York and to dedicate them to waterfront development, which had been ignored for decades by the existing power structure. This fight -- at its core -- was a fight for forgotten communities in New York State. It is a record -- and a message -- that will resonate with voters statewide.

The Governor he has many great public leaders from which to choose to make this appointment, and at the end of this process, I am confident that Governor Paterson will appoint a Senator who will serve all of New York's residents well. I simply believe that an upstate voice is critical at this point in time, and I believe that Congressman Brian Higgins is the right person at the right time.