Eric Dinallo, who has been flying largely under the radar screen in the five-way Democratic AG’s race, is on the upswing this weekend, with two newspaper endorsements and an “atta boy” from the NY Times, to boot.

Both the Daily News and Crain’s New York Business have backed Dinallo, with the latter Eric Dinallo, praising him for remaining “singularly focused on the office, which -having worked there – he knows far better than his rivals” throughout the campaign to replace Andrew Cuomo.

Crain’s is subscription-only, so here’s an excerpt:

“He has developed a reorganizational plan to make it more efficient and productive. At Morgan Stanley and Willis Group Holdings, he implemented lawsuit-prevention practices that he would bring to state agencies.”

“He has shown great deftness in finding legal pathways to attack problems, including a novel way to empower the attorney general to investigate a Legislature that insists on policing itself. His recent testimony before Congress demonstrated a profound understanding of financial services, which he is eminently prepared to police—without the ego and the mean streak that made Mr. Spitzer the industry’s enemy.”

“…(H)is platform is comprehensive, and his qualifications to be attorney general are unmatched. Democratic voters should make Eric Dinallo their nominee.

The editorial also singles out the other political neophyte in the field, Sean Coffey, for praise, calling both newcomers “extraordinarily talented lawyers, which is a prerequisite for the job.” (The structure of this sentence has been changed to address a comment regarding my bad grammar…I will re-read Strunk & White ASAP, stickler).

Coffey gets zinged for having picked up a few too many political skills along the campaign trail, in particular for his focus on supporting a property tax cap – a popular proposal supported by many – including Cuomo – but not one that has anything to do with the AG’s office.

Crain’s readily acknowledges Dinallo “faces a difficult road to victory” against the more seasoned pols in the race. Sen. Eric Schneideman has “institutional support,” the paper says, and Assemblyman Richard Brodsky “political experience,” but neither have priorities for the AG’s office “aligned” with the interests of the business world.

Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice again takes it on the chin, as she did in the Times endorsement of Schneiderman, receiving the worst review of any of the candidates. Crain’s says she “leads in the polls despite her unimpressive command of the issues.”

ADDED: The DN, on the other hand, praised Rice, calling her a “strong candidate” and saying voters have been giving her consideration “with excellent reason.” The paper panned Schneiderman and Brodsky as “part of the Albany problem,” and said Coffey has “too much baggage” from the big campaign contributions made by his former law firm.

Of Dinallo, the DN said:

“(He) offers a blend of first-rate legal, executive and regulatory experience that is unique among the contenders and equips him best to lead New York’s top law office amid rising challenges.”

“With substantial accomplishments in the public and private sectors, Dinallo’s range extends from the guts of Wall Street to the workings of the health insurance industry – both of which will be high on the agenda.”

Dinallo has been dubbed the “under sheriff of Wall Street” for his time in Spitzer’s office, during which he is credited for recognizing the Martin Act could be used to go after corrupt practices on Wall Street. He also served as state Insurance superintendent during the Spitzer and Paterson administrations, resigning his post last July to focus on an AG run.

A top New York Democrat recently told me that Dinallo is best-suited to the AG’s job, and would be the perfect person to appoint to the post if it suddenly and inexplicably became open between elections. However, this Democrat questioned Dinallo’s ability to win the primary, given his political inexperience and his (relative) lack of campaign cash, compared to his rivals. (Rice leads the money race with $4.4 million on hand; Coffey isn’t far behind, having pumped $3 million into his own campaign to date).

The Times gave Dinallo runner-up status in its endorsement editorial, and he seems to be hitting all the right notes in his campaign, offering measured, thoughtful – and often non-political – responses in candidate forums and debates, and staying above the fray while his opponents sling mud at one another.

It will be interesting to see if they turn their negative attacks on Dinallo now that he’s getting some positive press, or simply continue to ignore him, figuring he won’t be able to catch up with the clock running out.

Since the Sept. 14 primary is going to be mostly a GOTV contest, Dinallo is ill-positioned to win. He lacks the union support Schneiderman enjoys and the funds to build himself the kind of paid GOTV operation that Coffey is trying to put together.

The fact that he’s placing a consistent second so far in the minds of the editboards won’t likely translate into votes come election day, but it could provide some good last-minute mail and TV fodder.

One thing is clear: As Dinallo and Schneiderman are on the rise, Rice’s star seems to be falling – although the DN’s second-place finish takes the sting out a bit. Of course, the only real assessment that counts is what’s taking place in the minds of voters who go to the polls in a few short weeks.

NOTE: This post has been updated throughout to add Dinallo’s DN endorsement, which I missed in my first perusal of the morning papers. – LB

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