STATEN ISLAND — Assemblyman Michael Cusick is out of the running to replace Michael Grimm in Congress, according to a report.
Cusick, who has served on the state Assembly since 2002, said he would not seek the Democratic nomination to run against District Attorney Dan Donovan for the seat vacated after Grimm pleaded guilty to tax fraud, the Staten Island Advance reported.
"After much reflection I have concluded that the best way I can continue to serve my constituents is in the New York State Assembly," Cusick said in a statement provided to the Advance.
He could not be reached for comment for this story.
With Cusick out of the race, Brooklyn councilman Vincent Gentile is considered the Democrats' most likely pick to run against the Republican Donovan.
Members of the Staten Island Democratic Party could not be reached for comment.
Grimm handily defeated another Brooklyn Democrat, former Councilman Dominic Recchia, in November to reclaim his congressional seat.
But in December, Grimm pleaded guilty to tax fraud for underreporting revenue and wages from an Upper East Side eatery he co-owned. Nearly a week later, he announced he would resign from Congress on Jan. 5.
Since then, the Staten Island Republican party backed Donovan, who's currently trying to block courts from releasing grand jury testimony in the Eric Garner case, to fill the vacant seat.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has yet to announce when the special election to fill the seat would take place.
