Tea Party hunts for candidates to run

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A battle is brewing. The Westen New York Tea Party Coalition is now taking aim at some major political players.

Shelly Schratz of the WNY Tea Party Coalition said, "The political system has destroyed this country."

Western New York's Tea Party movement has begun searching for candidates to run for state and federal offices. No political background is required.

"This is the taxpayers of this area and they've been taxed enough, and they've had it, and you can break in if you have people that have the same philosophy," said Schratz.

The Tea Party movement is targeting some heavy hitters in Congress and the New York State Senate. Congressman Brian Higgins says, "bring on the competition."

"It's fine. It's an election year. This is what this process is all about. It's an election year. I'm prepared for it and I have a very, very good record, and I'm very enthusiastic about telling about that record," said Higgins.

Encouraged by Republican Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, Tea Party Movement supporters believe voters will rally around one main cause.

"The government's spending too much of our money and that's destroying the economy," said Jim Ostrowski of the WNY Tea Party Coalition.

Rus Thompson of the WNY Tea Party Coalition said, "It's time for Albany to start listening to what we have to say."

The Western New York Tea Party movement picked up momentum last March when hundreds turned out for a rally at Buffalo's Inner Harbor. Thompson wants people's frustrations to be focused on getting new candidates elected.

"Usually we're voting for the lesser of two evils and we're sick of that. We're sick of the political process, the way that the parties like to put it all together. So we're looking for Republicans, Democrats, who want to go up against their party. Let's primary these people," said Thompson.

Developer Carl Paladino said, "I'll go in and turn that whole place upside down."

Many in the Tea Party are hoping outspoken Buffalo developer Carl Paladino will run for governor.

Allen Coniglio of the WNY Tea Party Coalition said, "If Carl Paladino took the governor's race, that would be incredible, but there are others. There are all kinds of people. We don't know who they are yet. We're asking the people to come out."

The Western New York Tea Party Coalition hopes to begin interviewing candidates by the end of next month.