Sean Eldridge (via Wikipedia)NEW YORK—Sean Eldridge, the 26-year-old investor and husband of Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, has filed paperwork to run for a New York congressional seat in 2014.
The move comes just days after Hughes, a former staffer on President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, formally relaunched The New Republic magazine, which he purchased last year.
Eldridge, a frequent donor to Democratic candidates and party committees, is running for the seat currently held by GOP Rep. Chris Gibson in New York’s 19th Congressional District.
New York Democrats have long whispered about Eldridge’s political ambitions—though he and Hughes have played coy when asked whether he would run for Congress.
In an interview with New York magazine in December, Hughes waved off his husband’s interest in Congress saying, “No, no, no. He’s 26. He’s going to do all kinds of things in politics, but I don’t think there’s any rush.”
Eldridge hasn’t formally commented on his candidacy. His bid could be an uphill battle. The district is considered one of the true swing areas of the state. Voters there have twice elected Gibson, but they backed Obama in the 2012 general election, 52 percent to 46 percent.