"I am deeply honored to be standing before you today, endorsed by Teresa Gillespie and Patrick Bahnken," stated Grant Lally, the Republican candidate for Congress in New York's Fifth Congressional District. "Their family tragedy demonstrates why we need to keep violent criminals in jail, and why we need the death penalty for murderers."

"Angel Diaz was a three time convicted violent criminal who murdered Kevin Gillespie," Lally continued. "My opponent in the November election, Gary Ackerman, supports the early release of violent felons back into society. Ackerman has voted against the death penalty 40 times since being elected to public office."

"Ackerman has stated that 'we will lose the battle against crime and violence even if we jail every criminal known to man...'" Lally continued. "My question to Ackerman is this - where are we to put criminals if not in jail? Ackerman believes violent criminals should be put back in the street, I know violent criminals should be kept where they belong - behind bars."

"I promise the people of the New York and the Fifth Congressional District that, unlike my opponent, I will put criminals in jail, keep them behind bars where they belong, and will actively support the application of the death penalty against those that choose to take an innocent human life," Lally continued. "This is the promise I make to officer Gillespie's family and to every family in New York."