Election Inbox

Giuliani not running

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has endorsed former U.S. Rep. Rick Lazio for governor, and has also said he will not run for U.S. Senate.

According to the New York Times, former state senator Michael Balboni, of Long Island, former Nassau County Legislator Bruce A. Blakeman, and Elizabeth N. Feld, mayor of Larchmont, a village in Westchester County, hope to run against Gillibrand as Republicans.

Interestingly, the Times story mentions Warren County District Attorney Kathleen Hogan as a possible Republican candidate for attorney general.

It mentions former governor George Pataki and U.S. Rep. Peter King as well:

"While Mr. Giuliani mentioned Mr. Pataki and Representative Peter T. King of Long Island as potential challengers to Ms. Gillibrand, those who know Mr. Pataki say the odds of his running are remote. (Efforts to reach Mr. Pataki through a spokesman on Tuesday were unsuccessful.)

"Mr. King ruled out a race against Ms. Gillibrand in August, but said in an interview on Tuesday that he would give it a second thought, at the urging of party strategists. A run would mean giving up his House seat and his spot as ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee, and winning would leave him facing re-election in 2012."

In a completely unrelated matter, the group Citizen Action of New York held a press conference in Saratoga Springs today urging U.S. Rep. and Hogan-by-marriage Scott Murphy to vote in favor of health care reform. Murphy voted against the House version of the bill, which squeaked through with five votes; U.S. Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, voted in favor (see link 4 for their reasons).