Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy has announced his first endorsement of a (soon-to-be-fellow once that enrollment switch goes through) Republican since his at the GOP convention.
failed to get onto the ballot himself
The winner: Gary Berntsen, the Republican designee to take on Democratic US Sen. Chuck Schumer.

“Gary Berntsen is the best choice for Conservatives and Republicans due to his vision of bringing spending under control and greater security to our nation,” Levy said in a press release released by the Berntsen campaign.

“Gary has served our nation with honor and distinction for over 28 years, and New Yorkers now need his service to help create new private sector jobs, defend our homeland, and put an end to the out-of-control spending habits of Washington.”

It makes sense that Levy’s first endorsement goes to a fellow Long Islander who is popular with the Tea Party movement, which the county executive also courted while he was still a candidate for governor.

According to today’s Siena poll, Schumer’s approval rating has dropped below 60 percent for the first time ever. However, he leads Berntsen 59-27 (down from 64-23) and Jay Townsend, Berntsen’s GOP primary opponent and the Conservative Party designee, 60-26 (down from 63-24).

Levy insisted after he failed to make the cut at the convention that he would not only remain a Republican, but also assist Republican candidates in the upcoming elections.

Jimmy Vielkind reported earlier today that Levy, who has so far refused to either endorse his erswhile GOP gubernatorial opponent, Rick Lazio, or rule out trying to petition his way onto the ballot on a new third party line, was supposed to speak today to Sen. Tom Libous, head of the SRCC, about how he can help GOP state Senate candidates.

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