Richard Hanna, a Republican, represents New York's 24th congressional district, which includes Utica, a small city in upstate New York. He is a freshman, having beaten Michael Arcuri, a Democrat, in 2010. In his two years in office, Hanna has compiled a moderate voting record for a Republican. Progressive Punch ranks him the 205th most progressive representative based on critical votes, which places him to the left of all but 14 Republicans.
Hanna was the only Republican at a rally for the Equal Rights Amendment; while there, he said "I'll tell you this: Contribute your money to people who speak out on your behalf, because the other side -- my side -- has a lot of it. And you need to send your own message. You need to remind people that you vote, you matter, and that they can't succeed without your help." He also said " Tell the other women, the other 51 percent of the population, to kick in a few of their bucks. Make it matter, get out there, get on TV, advertise, talk about this. The fact that you want [the ERA] is evidence that you deserve it and you need it."
It is highly unusual, to say the least, for a member of one political party to urge people to give to the other.
After the 2010 census, New York lost two seats in the House of Representatives. In the new districting, Richard Hanna will be in New York's 22nd congressional district. His Democratic opponent will be Dan Lamb. The new district is slightly more Democratic than the old one, and the old one was a swing district. Hanna has something of an incumbent's advantage, but he seems to be running toward the center in order to stay in office. But before he faces Lamb in November, he faces a challenge from his right: Michael Kicinski, a favorite of the tea party, is challenging him in a primary that will be held April 24, 2012. Kicinski, who says he campaigned for Hanna in 2010, is upset with Hanna's moderate record.
