Lt. Col. Doug Herrmann (US Army, Ret), Lewis County Sheriff Mike Carpinelli with Rev. Jim Harden.[/caption]

For Immediate Release: February 6, 2025

On January 10, 2025, GOP leaders in New York’s 21^st Congressional District included Rev. Jim Harden in a list of names to be considered to replace Congresswoman Elise Stefanik—should she resign to become Ambassador to the United Nations. Currently, Rev. Harden is the anticipated frontrunner. He presently serves as a Councilman in one of the largest and fastest growing towns in Wayne County. Former NY Gubernatorial candidate and current Lewis County Sheriff, Mike Carpinelli, endorsed Rev. Harden, making him the first candidate with an official endorsement.

Rev. Harden built the largest pro-life medical network in the Eastern United States based in New York. Rev. Harden is a fundraising specialist, giving away millions of dollars of free medical care each year through CompassCare’s five offices in Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and TeleCare system, benefitting hundreds of women in NY’s 21^st District.

As a political “outsider,” over the last 25 years, Rev. Harden has become known for fighting New York and national liberalism. Rev. Harden is the only candidate in the field of GOP contenders to replace Rep. Stefanik who continues to be the target of liberal democrat corruption.

Some say, “You can tell a lot about someone by those who attack him.” Of all the candidates being considered by GOP leaders, Rev. Harden is the one who liberal politicians love to hate, earning the title “Neanderthal” from Gov. Hochul.

Rev. Harden bucked Antifa domestic terrorists after they firebombed his organization’s Buffalo medical office, injuring two firefighters. He hammered the politicized Biden DOJ and FBI after former AG Garland and then Director Wray slow-walked investigations into crimes against churches and pro-life entities. This inspired both House and Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. President Joe Biden even responded to Rev. Harden’s August 2022 and March 8, 2023 calls for the defunding of the FBI in order to dismantle and rebuild it due to systemic corruption. Biden ridiculed the notion of defunding his FBI saying, “That’s a good one. I like that one. Well guess what? I refuse to provide funding that’s going to keep communities safe and secure.” Rev. Harden is hopeful that the FBI will shortly be under review by DOGE. Rev. Harden also worked with Congresswoman Claudia Tenney of NY’s 24^th to protect the generous work of pro-life pregnancy centers nationwide with the Pregnancy Resource Center Defense Act.

He beat back President Joe Biden after he signed an Executive Order (which President Trump since rescinded) to investigate what they called the “fraudulent practices” of pregnancy centers. He fought NY Gov. Hochul after she signed a bill into law (one week after the firebombing of the Buffalo office) to investigate pro-life organizations and not the arsonists. Harden continues fighting Hochul in Federal Court while Hochul’s accomplice, Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit to shut down emergency lifesaving care to women who seek to reverse a chemical abortion. Rev. Harden reciprocated, suing her for constitutional violations of freedom of religion and speech.

Further, Rev. Harden wrestled New York’s misguided and illegal Ballot Proposal 1, punching to protect parental rights and women and girls’ sports from the LGBT Agenda as a founding board member of the Coalition to Protect Kids.

Rev. Harden has a history of being politically astute, predicting the overturn of Roe as early as 2018 and the demise of the “Red Wave” in the 2022 midterms—the very reason there is such a narrow Republican majority in the House today. In December, Rev. Harden also predicted that Gov. Hochul would pull a play out of former Gov. Cuomo’s handbook and engage in crooked election delay tactics to rob New York’s 21^st District of representation, reducing the Republican majority even further for the benefit of Democrats. As of last week, she is doing just that.

Given the independent makeup of the GOP County Chairs, Rev. Harden is the likely frontrunner. One GOP Chair observed that of all the candidates, Rev. Harden has the greatest depth of understanding on all the issues facing New York’s 21^st District and the nation. Only one of the 15 GOP County Chairs said he would not vote for Rev. Harden because this particular Chair is voting for himself.

If one’s track record is an indication of future performance, Rev. Harden is the proven fighter with the skill, work ethic, and moral compass to stand alongside President Trump and Speaker Johnson.

The Christian organizations he leads continue prevailing over lawfare and weaponized legislation leveled to shut them down by Governors Eliot Spitzer, Andrew Cuomo, Kathy Hochul, and others like Attorney General Letitia James. Given the relentless attacks, Rev. Harden is the candidate who most understands President Trump.

Interviewed on hundreds of programs from the Glenn Beck Show and Tucker Carlson to The Washington Watch with Tony Perkins and Huckabee, Rev. Harden has become known for his piercing insight into politics and current events. He is an author, well-versed in Constitutional Law, theology, philosophy, and ethics.

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Contact: Rich Ronald

(585) 851-8220 | rich@hardenforcongress.org