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Republicans
Moving On Cox?
May 28th - 3:15 pm
Disgruntled Republicans are quietly making calls in advance of their party’s nominating convention next week to discuss the possibility of a “no confidence” vote on state GOP Chairman Ed Cox.
“He really hasn’t done anything other than make it the most disorganized and confused event that you’re going to see,” an anti-Cox source griped. “It’s going to be absolute confusion and bedlam.”
A group of malcontents is likely to meet in New York City before the convention gets underway at the Sheraton next Tuesday, the source said. Those calling around include, but are not limited to, allies of gubernatorial contender Rick Lazio, who has been at odds with Cox for some time.
Discontent with Cox’s leadership has been brewing since he abandoned Lazio, the party’s gubernatorial frontrunner (in polls and the weighted convention vote, although not fundraising), to convince Democratic Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy to switch parties and run.
It was widely speculated at the time that Cox’s interest in Levy was largely born of a desire to curry favor with Suffolk County GOP Chairman John Jay LaValle in connection with the congressional bid of Cox’s son, Chris, in NY-1 against Democratic Rep. Tim Bishop.
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Parks Bill Passes In Party-Line Vote
May 28th - 2:48 pm
After finally managing to get all 32 members into the chamber, the Senate Democrats just passed the bill that will re-open state parks without a single GOP vote.
The finally tally: 32-27.
Earlier today, Sen. Tom Libous, of Binghamton, defended the Republicans’ plan to vote “no” in a bloc to Capital Tonight’s Kaitlyn Ross, saying:
“Even their own nominee, Andrew Cuomo, made it very clear yesterday that this state and people of this state cannot take higher taxes.”
“So, our Republican conference is voting against higher taxes today. Certainly the parks can open. There’s money to open the parks, but the governor is using this as a political ploy. So what the Democrats are voting for is higher taxes. We’re voting no on higher taxes, but think the parks should still open.”
Charter And Parks Bills In Trouble In Senate? (Updated)
May 28th - 11:57 am
The 30-member Senate Republican conference is poised to vote en masse against the bill that would keep state parks open and also has issues with a measure that would boost the charter cap from 200 to 460, GOP sources confirm.
The Republicans are still discussing their strategy behind closed doors, but one legislative source said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if they all emerge to vote “no” on the parks bill – at the very least – due to concerns about increased taxes and fees.
This could be a major problem for the Senate Democrats, as all 32 members of their conference are not currently at the Capitol and – assuming they make it at all – will only be in house for a very short time today.
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Maragos’ First County Chair(s)
May 28th - 10:53 am
Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos, who just yesterday announced a challenge to Sen. Chuck Schumer, today revealed he has landed his first endorsement from a GOP county chair: Orange County’s Bill DeProspo.
“Mr. Maragos’ 35 years of private business experience and accomplishments as well as his educational credentials and electoral success as Nassau County Comptroller makes him the best qualified candidate to represent New York in the U.S. Senate,” said Bill DeProspo.
“George is committed to bringing good paying jobs to upstate New York, lowering taxes, and advancing fiscally responsible policies.”
UPDATE: The Watertown Times’ Jude Seymour informs me the Clinton County GOP endorsed Maragos last night.
Maragos is a late add to the race, which at one point was shaping up to be GOP challenger-less for Schumer.
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Staten Island GOP Tries Again With Allegretti (Updated)
May 27th - 8:36 pm
After being turned down by former Rep. Vito Fossella, the Staten Island GOP is poised to pick a new candidate to challenge Democratic Rep. Mike McMahon in NY-13 this fall:Michael Allegretti.
NY1′s Shushannah Walshe reports members of the party’s executive committee met this evening and tapped Allegretti ahead of the full nominating convention, which is about to get underway.
It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that Allegretti will get the nod of the full committee over his GOP primary opponent, Michael Grimm, who released a letter earlier today saying he wouldn’t be taking part in tonight’s convention.
(The DN’s Celeste Katz interpreted this as a “pre-emptive strike” that all-but signaled Grimm wouldn’t be getting the nod even if he sought it, and I concur with that assessment).
Grimm has the support of the Kings County Conservative Party, and is also supported by state Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long.
The SI GOP executive committee raised eyebrows when it endorsed Fossella earlier this month.
The former congressman, who decided not to seek re-election in 2008 following a drunk-driving/out-of-wedlock child scandal, had reportedly been mulling a comeback bid for some time, but ultimately decided against it.
Fossella said he took a pass on the race because he’s in a “good place” in his life, with a lucrative private sector job and some on-air commentary gigs from time to time.
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Jacobs On The GOP’s Self-Immolation
May 27th - 6:03 pm
There was a surprising dearth of red meat at the Democratic convention in Rye Brook this week.
Today’s lone moment of Republican-bashing came from Suffolk County Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher, who made references to the two GOP candidates from her home turf (Rick Lazio and Steve Levy), saying one has failed to deliver on property tax relief “talk,” while the other doesn’t care because he’s sitting on “a million-dollar Wall Street bonus.”
I asked state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs about this hands-off approach during an interview that will air at 8 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. on “Capital Tonight,” and he said the Republicans are doing such a good job shooting at one another that he doesn’t feel the need to join the fray.
“You know, they do so much damage to themselves,” Jacobs told me.
“It’s kind of like that bus that is careening down a hill right at an adversary of yours. The one thing you don’t do is get in the way. Just get out of the way…I don’t think we have to add too much to it.”
Levy, Paladino Will Go Stag To Conservative Convention
May 27th - 5:24 pm
So far, two of the gubernatorial candidates – the Democrat and one of the four Republicans – have announced their preferred running mates in advance of their respective nomination at major party conventions.
Former Rep. Rick Lazio made his selection of Chautauqua County Executive Greg Edwards known far in advance of both tomorrow’s Conservative confab and next week’s GOP get-together.
Conservative Chairman Mike Long has already signaled his support for the Lazio-Edwards ticket, and it’s expected that the duo will get the nod for Row D tomorrow (although, with the way things have been going of late, nothing’s done until it’s done).
AG Andrew Cuomo took the wraps off of his super-secret LG selection, Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy, just 24 hours before his scheduled convention nomination. Duffy was nominated that very day by his fellow Democrats, but didn’t show up until this morning – along with Cuomo himself – to give his acceptance speech.
That leaves Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and Carl Paladino still without running mates. And, as it turns out, they will both be flying solo at tomorrow’s Conservative convention.
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Maragos Makes It Official
May 27th - 3:05 pm
As expected, Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos has officially announced he is running for US Senate against Chuck Schumer.
Maragos is the fourth Republican candidate to step up and challenge the veteran Democrat. If you are keeping track, here is a list of the others, with links to their background.
The full press release of his campaign launch is after the jump. You’ll notice he already has the backing of former state party chair and current Nassau County chair Joe Mondello, who pumped up Maragos’ credentials as a fiscal conservative.
“George Maragos has aggressively sought out government waste and has made significant progress streamlining government,” Mondello said.
“Mr. Maragos was also one of the first to ring the alarm when health insurance companies proposed crippling premium increases earlier this year.”
Another Chair For Mermel
May 27th - 1:23 pm
M. Myers Mermel has received the endorsement of the Cayuga County GOP chair – formerly a supporter of Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy – bringing his tally to five since he dropped his LG bid and entered the governor’s race last week.
“I know Myers can unite the party and will be a Governor we can be very proud of,” Cayuga Chairwoman Cherl Heary said in a statement released by Mermel’s campaign.
“I backed Levy because he was not Lazio, but I always knew in the back of my mind Levy is a Democrat. Myers is the true conservative Republican candidate who believes in the core principles of the party.”
To recap, Mermel now has the support of the chairs from Cortland, Herkimer, Cayuga, Schuyler and Queens, although the Queens committee is split and still has some Lazio backers.
At this point, it really is impossible to know exactly how much of any county’s support a candidate has, since the party is so fractured at the moment. It may take a convention floor fight – or back room deal – to sort this mess out.
But, as a colleague of mine said last night, there’s only one Republican at this moment who can say he has….Mermentum.
Cuomo’s Validators
May 27th - 1:08 pm
The line-up of people who introduced AG Andrew Cuomo at the convention today was very telling and demonstrated how ethnic and geographic politics is alive and well in New York – no matter how much Democrats insist it’s on the wane.
First up for former NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson (pictured here doing a post-speech interview with local TV).
Not only is Thompson black – a subtle acknowledgement about the concern about the Democrats’ all-white statewide ticket – but he also was briefly touted as a possible statewide contender himself, either as LG or a primary challenger to state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.
Thompson ultimately took a pass on politics altogether this year, preferring instead to go into the private sector and prepare for his second attempt at the NYC mayor’s office in 2013. (It will be a trick for him to keep his name recognition up until then, which explains appearances like this one – and his visit to Somos el Futuro in Albany recently).
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