While most political pundits have anointed Democrat Andrew Cuomo as the next governor of New York, one man definitely has a different idea – Republican nominee former Congressmember Rick Lazio.
Lazio, who received the Republican Party designation over a slew of other candidates at last week’s GOP convention, is running a campaign that says Andrew Cuomo is not the answer to help solve the state’s problems.
“Andrew Cuomo’s special interest allies will not make the change we seek easy,” Lazio said when he accepted the nomination. “They prefer the status quo. They know that Andrew Cuomo won’t take on the Albany establishment – Andrew Cuomo can’t take on the Albany establishment – because Andrew Cuomo is the Albany establishment.”
A four-term Congressmember from Long Island, Lazio was first elected in 1992 when he upset an 18-year incumbent. During his time in Congress, Lazio served as Chair of the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity where he helped authorize the most extensive overhaul of public housing laws since the Great Depression. His landmark legislation modernized public housing and expanded housing opportunities for seniors and the disabled.
However, Lazio may be most well-known throughout the state for his unsuccessful U.S. Senate seat challenge in 2000 where he lost to now U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Now, Lazio believes he is the best candidate to help lead the state during difficult economic times as New York is facing a more than $9.2 billion budget deficit, and this year’s budget is more than two months late.
“Here in New York, there are many who are discouraged,” Lazio said. “Some have given up, left our state and searched for opportunity elsewhere. We can do better. The people want change, they want to chart a new course and look for responsible leaders who can move us forward.”
In other news from the Republican convention, the party nominated Harry Wilson for Comptroller to go up against Democratic incumbent Tom DiNapoli; Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan for Attorney General and Gary Bernsten to challenge U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer.
In addition, the State Committee men and women elected to send Bruce Blakeman and David Malpass to a primary in September, though Blakeman became the party’s official designee to challenge Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand for the balance of the Senate term to which she was appointed by Governor David Paterson in January of 2009.
