Republican candidates vying to replace Gov. Andrew Cuomo say they’re salivating at the opportunity to campaign against the scandal-scarred, three-term Democratic incumbentꦿ next year.
“Right now we’re running against Andrew Cuomo even though we all know that he should resign,” said Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin, who reported amassing $2.5 million in donations in ten days following his announcement that he is seeking the GOP nomination for ꧑governor.
Nine Republicans weighing a𝄹 run for governor made their pitch to GOP state and county leaders in Alba𒐪ny on Monday, including Zeldin.
They all hope to be chosen to face Cuomo, who said he intends to seek and win a fourth term, thereby surpassing the tenure of his late father, former three-term Gov. Mario Cuomo, who lost his bid for a fourth term to Rไepublican Geo𓃲rge Pataki in 1994.
But that was before Cuomo was hit with multi⭕ple accusations of manipulating nursing home death figures during the coronavirus outbreak, using state resources to write a memoir about the pandemic, and sexually harassing w𒉰omen on his staff. Cuomo has denied wrongdoing.
The Democratic-led Assembly’s judiciary committee is pursuing a probe of Cuomo’s scandals that could lead to impeachment.
“I believe he should resign even just based off of the failed nursing order and cover up,” Zeldin said.
“Andrew Cuomo barely had enough time to score a multimillion dollar self congratulatory book deal and of course he accepted the Emmy Award on top of it and used his staff members to help write that $4 million dollar self congratulatory book deal.”
Cuomo on Monday insisted that his government staffers “volunteered to help on the book.” But state Attorney General Letitia James is investigating the matter.
Zeldin also mentioned claims that Cuomo used state Health Department staff to provide COVID-19 “preferential testing treatment” for his family members by moving them “to the front line.”
After meeting with all the candidates, state GOP chairman NIck Langworthy said he was impressed with Zeldin’s early fundraising prowess and declared the Long Island congressman the “front-runner” for the nomination.
“He’s going to be very aggressive with his campaign. He put out very aggressive fundraising numbers so he, I think he set the pace. It is now incumbent on the rest of the would-be candidates to decide if they’re going to meet that pace, exceed that pace or not,” Langworthy said,
“I do believe Mr. Zeldin is the frontrunner,” he said.
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, Cuomo’s GOP opponent in 2018, said he relishes a rematch.
Molinaro referred to a staffer who accused Cuomo of reaching under her blouse and groping her at the governor’s mansion, a claim the governor insisted never happened.
“I’ve never touched somebody who works for me. That’s a distinguishable difference,” Molinaro said.
“[There have been] no scandals in my administration. I don’t berate or belittle the people I hire. In fact, I hire the best and brightest regardless of party right regardless of party and encourage them to do their job well.”
“We deserve a state government that is more honorable and honest than the one we have. And we have to wipe clean this chapter of corruption and crime.”
Former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, the 2014 candidate for governor said, “I think I would be the best general election candidate, and having gotten the closest to Cuomo, by far, we’re ready to give him the knockout punch, or whoever the Democrat is.”
The cattle call also included Andrew Giuliani, the son of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who workedꦺ as a White Hous🌜e aide to for former President Donald Trump.
“What Gov. Cuomo has done over the last ten years….is disincentivize business from building in New York. New York is one of two states that’s going to lose population in the next 2020 census,” Giuliani said.
Upstate Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is weighing a bid fꦿor governor, could not make it to Albany Monday. But she is seriously considering a run.
Scheduled speakers also included Ro🌼ckland County Executive Ed Day, former state housing commissioner Joe H𒐪olland, state Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt and Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, among others.
A new Siena College released on Monday reveals that the scandals have taken their toll on Cuomo’s popularity, with voter support plunging to a record low during his ten-year reign 💯as governor. The latest survey shows Cuomo bleeding support among fellow Deꦯmocrats and a solid majority of voters prefer to support someone else for governor in 2022.
