Cuomo: We Won’t Have Three Primaries
Gov. Andrew Cuomo does not cotton to the idea of three primaries.
And this afternoon after his taxi summit meeting, Cuomo indicated that such a scenario will not occur.
(The full video of the gaggle with us hacks was uploaded here.)
“I would really, really hope not. That would be expensive more for the local governments than for anything else,” Cuomo said. “But that’s an outcome I think that should be avoided and will be avoided.”
U.S. District Court Judge Gary Sharpe is expected to rule on the issue of when New York should hold its party primaries, part of an ongoing Department of Justice lawsuit to force the state into complying with the MOVE Act, which governs timely access to military and overseas ballots.
Depending on how Sharpe rules — he indicated on Monday he was leaning toward an August primary — New York could be in line for three primaries if state lawmakers don’t agree to a date for state and local elections.
New York typically holds its party primaries in September, making August the closest possible choice. The DOJ has said Aug. 18 is the latest the state can hold the elections.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver wants a June date, arguing the most people are on vacation in August. Senate Republicans say August is best because the Legislature often wraps up its work in June.
Having three primaries would be distinctly un-Cuomo like, especially since he is trying to project an image that New York has turned the corner on inefficiency and waste. Plus, it would just look silly.
And while Cuomo has shown no qualms about swooping in and brokering a compromise on a variety of thorny legislative issues, the governor today said he was still staying above the fray for now.
“Let’s see how it goes,” he said. “It’s primarily between the Senate and Assembly. If they need my assistance they know where to find me.”
| Print article | This entry was posted by Nick Reisman on December 14, 2011 at 7:47 pm, and is filed under 2012, Andrew Cuomo. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |
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http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com VJ Machiavelli



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