Hair apparent

He'll win in an upset, then claw his eyes out.

An already topsy-turvy political year grew even more so today when Francis M. Powers, the son of GOP designee Francis H. Powers, said he would seek the Libertarian Party line to run for the 13th Congressional District seat.

"This is not about my dad," said the younger Powers, 47, a master carpenter from Clifton who plays and sings with the Staten Island band Box of Crayons and runs an indie record label called Penny for the Guy Records. "I'm running against the Republican candidate."

Known as Fran, Powers is the eldest of five children from his father's first marriage, which ended in divorce 30 years ago. Fran Powers insisted his candidacy is not a "vendetta" against his father. "I'm not going to say that my dad treated me bad when I was a kid," Fran Powers said. "I know his policies. I'm running against someone I know."

When asked about the timing of his entry into the race, Powers said, "Me being his son gives me a different platform than normal," a platform that Powers said he wouldn't have against another candidate. "We can't have the Republicans take this seat again," he added. "A vote for my father is a vote for the straight Republican ticket."

"I've tried very hard for many years to help my son," the elder Powers said in a statement released by his campaign. "Unfortunately, he's rejected everyone's help to live a healthy lifestyle. Regardless of whether he wants to run for Congress, I still stand ready to help him move his life in a positive direction."

Man, the family reunion's gonna be uncomfortable.

Update: The article doesn't make it apparent, but this is the seat that Staten Island Republican Vito Fossella is giving up in the wake of fallout from "sexual and alcoholic escapades."