Results tagged “election2010”

The Daily News' Elizabeth Benjamin reports that City Comptroller Bill Thompson's name is "being floated" for various positions, including Senator. Rep. Jose Serrano says, "Billy Thompson obviously is the kind of public servant who not only who serves the public well but has proven he doesn't need a lot of money to do well in an election. He would be a formidable candidate statewide anytime." And even though President Obama personally asked other pols not to run against Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a "senior New York Democrat" tells the News, "The presumption is that a White House that didn't really show strong support for Bill Thompson for mayor in this environment couldn't do that to him twice."

Rick Lazio, former L.I. Congressman and the guy who ran for a Senate seat against Hillary Clinon, feels good about his 2010 chances, after GOP gubernatorial victories in NJ and Virginia. He told WCBS 2, "Tuesday was, to me, very much a validation of my message. Government has become unresponsive, unaccountable and the people have lost faith." Marist pollster Lee Miringoff said, "Clearly, economic discontent is running extensively throughout the electorate as are the winds of change. If your first name is 'governor' right now, it makes it hard," adding, "People don't know who [Lazio] is, so there is not great name recognition there. So this is all potential." But if Governor Paterson's last ditch efforts don't work, Lazio may have to face...Andrew Cuomo.

Embattled by the state's economy and some of his (and his staff's) own missteps, Governor Paterson is considered an underdog to run for governor next year. But here he is, releasing television ads touting his case. The NY Times says of the pair of ads, "The two ads, each 30 seconds long, highlight his biography and address criticism Mr. Paterson has faced from labor unions and business interests over his proposed cuts to the state budget. Both directly confront what polls say is Mr. Paterson’s central political problem: widespread public skepticism that he has the ability to lead the state effectively."

A new Siena poll reveals that voters are still unhappy with Governor Paterson: His job performance is 19% positive, 79% negative and only 15% of respondents want to re-elect him (72% say there should be someone else). Here's something to think about: Rudy Giuliani is gaining on Andrew Cuomo in a hypothetical 2010 gubernatorial matchup: last month, Cuomo got 52% and Giuilani 39% while this month, it's Cuomo 50% and Giuliani 43%. Giuliani beats Paterson 56% to 33%.

In an exclusive interview with NY1, Governor Paterson discussed his 2010 prospects and revealed that he wouldn't mind appearing on Saturday Night Live, which has skewered him repeatedly. In fact, Paterson also dissed the show, "I've offered to come on 'Saturday Night Live' because I thought I would help them get the ratings. Because clearly that humor that they had when they first had Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi... has gone [with] this [current] cast of characters. I thought I would show some benevolence as governor and help them out a little bit."

Some people really heart Andrew Cuomo! From PolitickerNY: "Here's a button that Manhattan resident Robert Eckel, a member of Community Free Democrats, just showed me at the Columbus Day parade. He also showed it to an Cuomo aide, who politely declined to pass it on to Cuomo." And apparently these babies are selling for $2.

Governor Paterson continues to swing wildly at any and all challengers who might want a shot at his governorship, whether they are actually coming for him or not. And apparently now he's also paranoid that Richard Ravitch might want his job. After chatter that he'll resign, Paterson is reportedly worried that such speculation is going to the head of Richard Ravitch, the man whom he handpicked and fought for in court to be lieutenant governor. An "insider" told the Post's Fred Dicker, "I think Paterson thinks that Ravitch can't wait for him to go so he can take over and become governor."

Apparently after last week's awkward embrace with President Obama, Governor Paterson has made it policy to keep his friends close and his potential political enemies closer. The two leading state Democrats crossed paths at a ballroom in Buffalo, where they were both giving speeches to a room full of their party mates. Cuomo was leaving as Paterson arrived. Reporters say after the two hugged, the attorney general slapped the governor on the back and said, “OK, buddy, go get ’em.”

Today, former governor George Pataki unveiled his official portrait (the one with the smile he doesn't like) in Albany, but PolitickerNY reports that he refused to partake in speculation about his potential entry into next year's elections. Pataki said, "It would be premature to answer hypotheticals. This is not a day for politics. This is a day to recognize Governor Paterson for his graciousness and to thank the people of the state for the great privilege. Politics can wait."

Rudy Giuliani has been reportedly thinking about running for governor next year, but other state Republicans think he might be better suited to run against Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Now the top NY State GOP figure—new party chair Ed "son-in-law of Richard Nixon" Cox—agrees, saying Giuliani "could be very effective in running for the Senate...I think he would have a better chance of winning that race," especially if Andrew Cuomo runs on the Democratic ticket.

The "will he or won't he" talk surrounding Governor Paterson's 2010 campaign is once again getting overshadowed by speculation that Paterson may not even finish his term. "One of the state's most prominent Democrats" tells Fred Dicker that they think the governor may pass the state's reins over to Richard Ravitch by next spring. Dicker adds that a longtime Paterson backer called his appearance "a pathetic performance" and other Dems are referring to him as "finished," "dead meat," and "not among the political living."

Governor Paterson once again told America Sunday that he has every intention of running to remain in office next year, but he made it even clearer that he has no intention of escalating or even drawing out his ongoing public feud with the White House. Paterson sat down with David Gregory during where the governor spent most of his ten minutes on the national stage refusing to go into the controversy that undoubtedly prompted the show to invite him on in the first place.

Andrew Cuomo came within a hair of missing out on President Obama's now famous public nod the attorney general in Troy on Monday because he was insistent on taking his daughters to school that morning. Good thing Cuomo made it to his unofficial canonization by Obama or else his assistant may have had no use for the anecdote. Instead, it was shared with both local tabloids in their respective Cuomo coming of age bios in this Sunday's papers. When Cuomo learned they were running late for the big Obama greeting, apparently the state's most popular Democrat said, "Oh no. I’m dropping the kids off at school. It’s what I do. And if we miss the president, we miss the president."

Governor Paterson's insistence on running to stay in the governor's mansion next year may have less to do with his concern for the Democrats and more to do with his love of the party. Yesterday the governor explained why he is so headstrong in sticking around despite suggestions to the contrary from some pretty heavy hitters. Paterson said, "It has been the most exciting time in my life. It has been the most challenging time in my life. ... I'm gonna keep doing it until the public tells me it's time to stop."

On the heels of news that Governor Paterson is one (giant leap of a) step not closer to running for reelection, Rick Lazio is finally ready to give us the craved announcement of the 2010 campaign season—throwing his hat into the govenor's race Tuesday even though he basically all but said it months ago. That will likely soon be followed by Rudy "I'll only beat myself" Giuliani once again making Lazio the sacrificial lamb, this time to Andrew Cuomo. [Newsday]

Update: At the African-American Day Parade in Harlem today, Paterson responded by saying, “I have said time and time again that I am running for governor next year."

Rick Lazio, best known for losing against Hillary Clinton in 2000 when she ran for Senate, has officially thrown his hat into the 2010 New York gubernatorial ring. After a few months of speculation, he sent a letter to supporters this weekend, "The present government in Albany is broken. It is a national embarrassment. It can’t be fixed by tweaking it here and there. It is dysfunctional and we need to start all over from the beginning." Of course, the 800-pound gorilla in the Republican sphere is Rudy Giuliani, but there's some rumor he might be better suited running against Kirsten Gillibrand. When PolitickerNY asked Governor Paterson what he thought of Lazio's announcement, he said, "Since I'm not seeking the Republican nomination, and this is a democracy, I would say that's a good idea."

The Post reports, "Top state Republicans will urge former Mayor Rudy Giuliani to abandon his interest in running for governor and run instead against unelected US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand." Apparently some think there isn't support for a Governor Giuliani, what with polls showing that Attorney General Andrew Cuomo would beat him, but Senator GIuliani has a more appealing ring—"State Republicans describe Giuliani's chances against Gillibrand as excellent and say the statewide organization fielded by Cox to become party leader could become a powerful base for a Giuliani Senate race." Interesting, especially since former governor George Pataki has been mentioned as a possible Senate candidate—but he's got a lot of baggage.

Former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani was on Meet the Press this morning and host David Gregory asked him whether he'll run for governor of New York. While all signs (so far) point to yes, Giuliani demurred and said that there was ab important political season up ahead, what with the NYC mayoral election and then gubernatorial elections in NJ and Virginia. Gregory said, "So a November decision?" to which Giuliani replied, "Something like that."

Perhaps trying to tweak his rumored 2010 rival Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Governor Paterson said yesterday that maybe Wall Street bonuses aren't so bad. The Daily News reports that over the past few days, the governor has said things like "At the end of the day, when they shut those bonuses down, they were shutting New York State down... That's where we got our taxes," "I understand why the President is mad, but there are actually New York State officials screaming about the bonuses [and] they're killing our tax money...I'll bet if they knew that, they'd stop saying it," and "I'm not saying that anyone did or didn't deserve those bonuses, I'm saying New York State deserves its taxes." Of course, Cuomo has delivered blistering criticism of executive compensation over the past half year. Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf tells the News that if this is Paterson's way of winning support, it's a terrible idea: "If you said to the average New Yorker, 'Let's have pity for Wall Street guys,' they'd say: 'Are you kidding? Let's hang 'em.' Going after AIG and Wall Street is a lot more popular than worrying about state tax dollars."

Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island) was considering challenging Senator Kirsten Gillibrand next year, but now says he's not running. Why not? He can't compete with Gilly's money... or her blandness, saying that the new junior Senator "generates neither strong support nor opposition," thus making it "virtually impossible" to raise money against her in state that has many more registered Democrats than Republicans.

After Governor Paterson has accused the media of racism as it details his political problems, more and more people are telling Paterson to stop. First it was President Obama—of course Paterson didn't pay any heed to that, later saying, "Part of what I feel is that one very successful minority is permissible, but when you see too many success stories, then some people get nervous,"—and other politicians and commentators. Now it's former NYC mayor David Dinkins, who says, "Definitely he should get off the racist thing. Right or wrong, it’s a fight you sure can’t win."

Finally! After nearly a year and a half of speculation, former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani is considering to run for Governor of New York. Now that the top ranks of the NY State Republican party are shuffling, the NY Times reports, "Mr. Giuliani has told associates that he will decide on a candidacy within 30 to 60 days, as he weighs whether he can be elected statewide and what impact another campaign would have on his business interests." Rudy's had talks with various Republicans in state, Democrat- turned-Republican- turned-independent Mayor Bloomberg and Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island)—King told the Times, "Several times, he said to me that he sees state government similar to where New York City was in 1993: out of control. So many people are saying the state can’t be governed, which is what everyone was saying about the city then. In Rudy’s mind, this is a challenge."

The head of the NY State GOP, Joseph Mondello, is stepping down, raising questions about Rudy Giuliani and a possible Rudy run for governor. The pair had a meeting last week and there has been a recent "Draft Rudy" movement. CityRoom reports, "Mr. Mondello’s decision, and Mr. Giuliani’s involvement in it, comes as the latest evidence that the former mayor is seriously considering a run for governor in 2010. Many party officials believe there is little rationale for Mr. Giuliani to get in the weeds of the state party’s political apparatus unless he is serious about running." Ed Cox, son-in-law of Richard Nixon and friend of John McCain, and Niagara County chair Henry Wojtaszek are vying to be the new state GOP head.

With sources saying that Governor Paterson is having his first real doubts about whether he will actually go through with an election campaign next year despite such abysmal poll numbers, the governor lashed out at how he's been lambasted in the press, claiming that the movement to push him out has been "orchestrated" and is racially motivated.

With the latest poll showing Governor Paterson now trailing Andrew Cuomo by a margin of over 4:1, state Democrats are continuing to quietly take one more step away from the governor and his election hopes while his attention is elsewhere. When asked if polls were giving him pause, Paterson said, “No, but where there is no pause is [in] the seemingly excessive printing of political polls. If there were one or two, I might have actually thought about it, but because there are 50, I’m finding it curiously odd." A new piece on the state of the campaign in the Observer quotes Democratic leaders saying that Paterson's time limit might be the end of the year before officials begin forcing him aside, possibly even sooner before labor leaders call for him not to run. The Paterson campaign seems to be counting on his continued hard-line stance against an unpopular legislature to give him a boost, but few seem to be giving Paterson good odds at gaining much traction against a headstrong state senate. One Democratic chair upstate says, “I’m going to see what Paterson decides. Things could happen. Maybe Obama will appoint him ambassador or something and he won’t run.”

Governor Paterson's prospects at getting elected next year continue to dwindle as the latest poll shows Andrew Cuomo running away with a head-to-head match-up in a landslide. The newest Quinnipiac poll shows Cuomo trouncing the governor by a margin of 61-15% among registered Democrats. Paterson may have hoped to see some gains after a month which he took a hard-line stance against the chaos in the state senate and appointed Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor despite objections to the move's legality. But his poll numbers continue to move the same direction they have throughout all of '09, with only 26% of New Yorkers saying they have a favorable view of the governor. As for Cuomo, he extended his lead in a hypothetical race against Rudy Giuliani to 48-39%—Giuliani has already began showing signs of shying away from a run, something that seems even less likely if Paterson is pushed aside. The governor continues to watch even the black vote slip away from him—with Cuomo now showing a 20 point lead among African-Americans. One prominent Democrat told the News, "I don't know how (Paterson) can run."

And then there were none left to challenge Kirsten Gillibrand in a Democratic primary. There must be some fierce, behind-the-scenes fangs hiding under that Tracy Flick smile of Gillibrand's because it seems like every Democrat poised to step in her way eventually bows out. Yesterday Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney became the last to wave the white flag, leaving Gilly the path of least resistance previously paved by Stringer, Israel, McCarthy and even Caroline Kennedy, whose initial withdrawal from consideration for the seat first opened the door for Gillibrand. Politicker says that Maloney recognized how much of a long-shot she was to beat the well-connected, upstate fundraising powerhouse and feared losing her entire political career, which could eventually see her as chair of the Financial Services Committee she currently sits on. Both Maloney and Gillibrand passed along praise of one another after the announcement and Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, "We've got a fabulous candidate now keeping her House seat and a fabulous candidate we hope keeping her Senate seat."

PolitickerNY posted this video that Governor Paterson's reelection campaign has packaged from video taken during the governor's 55th birthday in May. PolitickerNY notes, "It's pretty remarkable: full of celebrities sending the governor their regards in a tone that's less Happy Birthday than Get Well Soon." You can see State Senate President Malcolm Smith proclaiming, "I love you. And just know that every decision that you've made thus far has put New York right back where it needs to be as the Empire State," while LL Cool J says, "I think he'll be fine. I think it'll work out. When you're laying on the weight bench and you inherit 2,000 pounds, it takes a bit to move it off your chest." There are also statements from MC Hammer, Carmelo Anthony and Allan Houston!!

Rudy Giuliani sure didn't sound like someone on the verge of making a run for governor while speaking at a Crain's New York breakfast this morning. Giuiani joked about the state GOP, “There’s no question that if you have to rely on George Pataki and me, you’re in big trouble." He said that he wasn't paying close attention to state issues and added, "I got elected mayor, I believe, on the theory of — it can't get worse. So if it gets to that point, maybe I'll decide [to go for it]." (But he does NY's got big problems!) Meanwhile Governor Paterson was shrugging off speculation about Democrats this week who gathered and talked about how poor his chances were of getting elected. He said, "A lot of people are voicing concerns when they should be focusing on the fact that this state overspends, that this state has unfortunately paid more attention to personal interests than the interests of the entire group of people that live here in this state." The governor also made a personal appearance in town this morning—partying at the nightclub Taj while Funkmaster Flex Dj'd until 1 a.m. A Gawker tipster spotted the governor said, "He need to get his blind ass home."