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MINERVA — Democratic Party county committee chairs from the 11 counties that comprise the 23rd Congressional District say they're excited about the many Democratic candidates who want to succeed Congressman John McHugh, should his confirmation to secretary of the Army be successful.

Essex County Democratic Party Chair Sue Montgomery Corey also praised the president's commitment to reaching across the political aisle in nominating McHugh, a Republican, to serve as secretary of the Army.

In a joint statement, the chairs said they were "all invested" in selecting the best possible candidate to fill the vacancy created by McHugh's selection.

The chairs said they will run an orderly selection process that will give all the prospective candidates an opportunity to present their qualifications.

The 11 chairs want to hear from candidates who would like to be considered for this opportunity. Any additional candidate must submit his or her expression of interest by noon Friday, July 17.

Applications should be sent by e-mail to the 11 county chairs and should include: a resume, cover letter or personal statement; description of the candidate's priority issues and those that may be a major priority for other stakeholder groups in the 23rd Congressional District; description of the candidate's capacity and willingness to assist with fundraising for the campaign; description of the candidate's party affiliation and voting history; and description of the candidate's efforts to reach out to the county chairs and other critical constituencies.

The chairs and their e-mail addresses are:

Clinton: Martin Mannix: mdmannix@verizon.net

Essex: Sue Montgomery Corey: suemc@capital.net

Franklin: Joe Pickreign: jpic@roadrunner.com

Fulton: Albert Hayes: cappie@frontiernet.net

Hamilton: Linda Mitchell: Indnlake@myway.com

Jefferson: Sean Hennessey: watertow­naoh@hotmail.com

Lewis: Ed Murphy: lewisdems@yahoo.com

Madison: Marianne Simberg: rmoneida36@gmail.com;

Oneida: Bill Barry: wbarrysr@verizon.net

Oswego: Bill Scriber: wmscriber@att.net

St. Lawrence: Mark Bellardini: bellar@earthlink.net.

The selection process will culminate with personal interviews.