Posted on 03/18/2010 3:56:31 PM PDT by CaptainK
ALBANY - Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy will announce Friday he is leaving the Democratic Party to run for governor of New York as a Republican, a Levy campaign spokeswoman said late Wednesday night.
Levy will declare his candidacy in Albany with the endorsement of "a large majority of Republican vice chairs as well as many Republican county chairs," spokeswoman Rene Babich said.
Levy's entry into the race upends a campaign whose only declared candidate had been former Rep. Rick Lazio, of Brightwaters, who has trailed the expected Democratic candidate, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, in both polls and fundraising.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
Another Scuzzio Rat-RINO?
I’d be cautious about this move, sounds fishy.
He acts more like a true Republican than most New York Republicans.
Lazio is worthless, he runs like he expects to lose. Anyone would be better.
Lazio is a wimp.
Just like he ran his Senate campaign. I read Lazio’s raised next to no money too. Get rid of him.
Terrific, another Republican who loves abortion, hates guns and has never met a problem that couldn’t be solved by a government solution. Just what we need in NY.
He’s fairly conservative and tough on immigration
I expect to see a lot of party switching but, not because of principles. If a dem can't win they switch their affiliation to rep.
That's being pro gun in NY State.
Terrific. I love it when my government tells me what kind of gun I can own, where I can keep it, and when I can buy it.
I notice "handgun" wasn't in his statement.
Smart guys do not let such RINOs get involved in Republican party management or ideological positioning.
Given the record the Republicans have in getting Republicans to run and win the office of Governor in New York there is no reason whatsoever to run a Democrat for that job.
The Democrats don't have a single potential candidate not touched by serious corruption this year. Plus, with the Democrats giving up on democratic norms and Constitutional requirements, it's entirely possible we can win New York again!
Notice that he is against partial-birth abortion. The Conservative Party would not have backed him for County Executive otherwise. He may get the Conservative imprimatur.
Reminder: Bloomberg was a Dem who switched to the Republican Party to get elected, then promptly showed he is still really a Dem - Don’t trust anyone who switches - convictions should run deep, not be acquired by switching parties to win an election.
He's as conservative as a NY candidate will get. He's fiscally conservative and anti illegal immigration.
Bloomberg was never conservative about anything.
Who thought he was? Now we're supposed to trust Steve Levy. For what reasons?
Do you know his record? Or anything about him?
Start with some of his track-record. The NYT is none too fond of him, as this article indicates: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/nyregion/04levy.html
He has a record for “fiscal stewardship of Suffolk County, which he [Levy] said included closing a record budget shortfall, cutting spending three of six years in office and raising the county’s bond rating.” (As per the same article above).
That distinguishes him from Emperor Bloomie right there. It also distinguishes him from almost every politician in New York. I just hope and pray to God that he doesn’t have some salacious little sexpot scandal hidden in his closet.
I’m starting to like him more and more. My in-laws live in Suffolk, so I may see if they need another volunteer.
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