Politics on the Hudson

A former hedge-fund manager from Scarsdale has been in talks with Republican leaders about a potential run for state comptroller, GOP sources said.

Harry Wilson, who served on President Obama’s auto task force, has met with state GOP chairman Ed Cox and former Republican comptroller candidate John Faso to discuss his interest in the position and also about becoming more involved in state politics, officials said.

“He’s a good guy with great qualifications who wants to get involved,” said one Republican official.

Wilson recently signed up to serve on Westchester County Executive-elect Rob Astorino’s transition team.

Wilson has not returned calls seeking comment.

Republicans have said privately that they are impressed with Wilson’s credentials as they seek a candidate to run next year for the position, currently held by Democrat Thomas DiNapoli.

DiNapoli, who was appointed to the position in 2007, plans to seek a full four-year term. Faso, who ran for the position in 2002, is also considered a potential candidate.

Wilson has a blue-collar background growing up in upstate Johnstown, Fulton County, and was valedictorian of his high school class, going on graduate from Harvard and Harvard Business School.

His success on Wall Street allowed him to retire last year at age 36 to spend more time with his family, according to an article about him in The Wall Street Journal in May.

The article spoke highly of Wilson’s role on the auto task force, and in an interview he did with his hometown paper, the Leader-Herald, he was asked about whether he might run for office someday.

“I certainly have a potential interest in public office,” Wilson told the paper.

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