Politics on the Hudson

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy insisted last night that he hasn’t made any decision on whether he will run on the Republican line for governor, which would set up a party fight with Republican candidate Rick Lazio.

“We’re still actively considering an announcement that I’m running, but it’s not confirmed at this point,” Levy said as he drove back from Albany yesterday after meeting with his local delegation on county business and talking to some local Republican and Conservative officials about his possible run.

Levy, a Democrat, said he hasn’t decided whether he would switch parties and run as a Republican. If he switches parties, he would still need a Wilson Pakula to run on the Republican line, but several Republicans have said that Levy’s real chance to win the GOP nomination is if he first switches parties.

Yet Levy said he’s received comments on both sides of the issue, with some saying he’d be better served switching while others saying he could be more attractive as a Democrat running on the GOP line.

“There are some people who are saying that they want to see” him switch parties, he said. “There are other people are saying they think it’s actually stronger with me running as a Democrat. Demographically, come Election Day, I’ve already run as a Democrat endorsed by the Republicans, Conservatives and Independents.”

He added that, “That’s the way I did it when I was running for re-election. You can pick up a lot more Democratic votes that way to supplement the other party.”

Still, the GOP’s overtures to Levy, in particular by state GOP Chairman Ed Cox, is ticking off some Republican leaders.

Yesterday, former Erie County GOP chairman Bob David wrote a missive to party leaders, ripping Cox and saying Cox is only considering Levy to help Cox’s son, Chris, get the GOPnomination to run for Congress in Suffolk County.

If that’s the case, Davis wrote, “he should resign as chairman and run his son’s campaign.”

His full letter is below.

Dear Fellow Republican,

As the former First Vice Chairman of the New York Republican State Committee, I’m very concerned of the tactics Ed Cox is taking to undermine our efforts to elect a Republican Governor.  As Republican leaders, his attempts, with only 8 months before the election, to gain support for a Liberal Democrat to be our Party*s candidate for Governor, is laughable.

Ed Cox’s support of Steve Levy has nothing to do with helping our Party.  It is an outrage.  Steve Levy is a liberal Democrat who not only supported Shelly Silver, Eliot Spitzer and John Kerry, but in January said that Obama’s Stimulus package was “manna from heaven” that “would save lives.”   How can we possibly nominate a guy who is closer to Andrew Cuomo than he is to us?

What is the real agenda here?  Is Ed Cox more concerned about his son getting the Suffolk County Republican nomination for Congress, or in electing a Republican as the next Governor of New York State?

As State Chair, Ed Cox promised to help our Party raise funding to elect a Republican Governor and return the State Senate to Republican control.  That’s going to be very important in this year’s races.  Is the State Party achieving it*s goals?  How much has been raised?  We have a great chance to reclaim the Governor*s chair and the Senate, and the time to lay the groundwork is now.  We don’t need this distraction!  It*s time to unite!

Join me and let Ed Cox know how hurtful his attempts to enlist a Liberal Democrat as our Party’s candidate for Governor is. If he wants to be his son’s campaign manager he should resign as Chairman and run his son’s campaign.

Sincerely.

Bob Davis

Former 1st Vice Chairman

New York Republican State Committee

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