Though the IDC and Senate Republicans allegedly formed a non-agression pact, they may still face challenges.

That comes from GOP political messaging guru Bill O’Reilly, who confirmed today the IDC will face challenges in the fall.

“If candidates come forward, yes,” O’Reilly told me. “No one would be discouraged from running.”

Rich Azzopardi, the IDC spokesman, appeared unphased in this quote he emailed over:

“That’s the price of admission for any elected official,” he said. “The IDC will be prepared for any and all challenges. But, before the next election, we have a whole other legislative session to focus on.”

Crain’s reported earlier that O’Reilly was the “new communications maven” for the state Republican Party.

The conference, which divorced itself from the main Democratic conference exactly one year ago today, formed is own political action committee earlier this year. Sen. Jeff Klein, D-Bronx, the conference’s defacto leader, told Jimmy Vielkind last month the PAC has raised about $250,000 so far.

They’ll probably need that money and then some if they go up against O’Reilly, a savvy political consultant who helped engineer Republican Bob Turner’s congressional victory in the NY-9.

Added to that mix is the possibility of a primary challenge from fellow Democrats.

Klein and Sen. Diane Savino are both considered to be in safe districts, even if the coming round of redistricting changes that fact. But Sen. David Valesky of Oneida has been a perennial target of Republicans ever since he beat incumbent Nancy Lorraine Hoffman. And freshman Sen. David Carlucci holds a seat held by the late Republican Sen. Tom Morahan.

The IDC today, meanwhile, is celebrating its one-year anniversary with a list of policy goals for the 2012 session.

Those include many similar themes the conference raised last year: government efficiency, reproductive rights and mandate relief.

IDC 2012 Agenda

Share|