Eric Garner prosecutor picked as candidate to replace Grimm

The Staten Island Republican Party selected Daniel Donovan as its candidate to replace Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.), who resigned from Congress Monday after pleading guilty to felony tax evasion.

Donovan, the Staten Island district attorney, is known as the prosecutor who failed to convince a grand jury to indict the police officer who killed Eric Garner.

The Staten Island GOP made its decision at a meeting on Saturday. Party Chairman John Antoniello said an alternative candidate, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, was also qualified for the seat, but that Donovan ultimately had the party’s support.

“At the end of the day, the committee felt overwhelmingly that Dan Donovan would make the better candidate,” Antoniello told the New York Observer.

Donovan said he would push for additional relief for victims of Hurricane Sandy and fight the Obama administration on its immigration actions. The Staten Island native has served as district attorney for 12 years and spent one year as deputy borough president.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has not yet called the special election for Grimm’s seat.