Democrat state Assemblyman Joe Morelle is running against Dr. Jim Maxwell, a Republican, for the 25th congressional district seat left open after the March 16 death of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter.
Election Day is Nov. 6.
Morelle said that it was Slaughter who had initially encouraged him to run for a seat on the Monroe County Legislature in 1984 when he was in his mid-20s. The Irondequoit native has served in the New York State Assembly since 1990 and was named majority leader in 2013. In that role, he said he has worked across the aisle with state Senate Republicans, which is experience he hopes to bring to the job in Washington, D.C., if he is elected.
Maxwell is a newcomer to politics, according to information at drjimmaxwell.com. Born in Pittsford and raised in East Rochester, he has served as chief of neurosurgery at Rochester General Hospital since 1998. He also trains senior neurosurgical residents from Strong Memorial Hospital and is a faculty member in the University of Rochester’s Department of Neurosurgery, according to information on the website.
Maxwell’s staff did not return requests for comment.
