OLEAN—Tom Reed, 37, Corning’s first-term Republican mayor, visited seven cities and towns Wednesday and Thursday to launch his 2010 campaign against Rep. Eric Massa, D-Corning.

Speaking to a small group of mostly Olean Republican leaders and family members gathered in the Lincoln Park gazebo Wednesday, Reed said his campaign actually started four months ago when he realized the nation was on the wrong path with “irresponsible deficit spending.”

Reed said he comes from a military family whose members don’t talk about their service and claims he has the support of the district’s two previous representatives— Amo Houghton and Randy Kuhl, both Republicans. He has been in private law practice in his native Corning for a decade and owns four businesses: Fritz-Klee Holdings, Fritz-Klee Realty, CT Associates and the Windsor Heights Golf Course.