YNN’s Seth Voorhees caught up with GOP/Conservative designee Rick Lazio in Rochester today for what I think was the candidate’s first extended interview since his campaign revealed his latest fundraising numbers – $688,821 on hand, thanks to a $200,000 personal loan from the former congressman.

The numbers were so bad that even GOP observers who had been predicting Lazio would come in under $1 million were taken aback. But Lazio himself continues to insist he’ll have sufficient funds to not only continue to campaign, but to defeat AG Andrew Cuomo and his $23.6 million war chest (minus $1.39 million worth of primary cash).

“We will have all the money that we need to win this campaign,” Lazio said “It’s an election, not an auction, which I remind people.”

“And people need to look past, I think, the ups and downs of polls and who’s got the most campaign money, and focus on the issues that are really going to impact on our future. We don’t want to be disappointed afterwards by making decisions based on what somebody else told us.”

Lazio dodged a question about whether he’ll be pumping more of his personal cash into his campaign to keep it afloat, but did say he’s “hoping and expecting” New Yorkers to “rally” behind his commitment to “turn this state around.”

He also rejected the suggestion that he might lose a GOP primary to Carl Paladino, who has so far spent $1.6 million of his own cash on his bid for governor and says he’ll go up to $10 million, and end up a spoiler on the Conservative Party line.

Share|