Politics on the Hudson

Questions about whether Sen. Thomas Morahan, R-New City, Rockland County, will retire this year continue, fueling talk about who on the GOP side would run for his seat.

But Morahan spokesman Ron Levine said today the long-time senator, who is suffering from leukemia, hasn’t made a final decision on his plans. Republican officials said the 78-year-old Morahan continues to tell them he will run for re-election, but there’s a growing sense among them that he probably won’t do it in the end.

“He’s going to make a decision very, very soon,” Levine said. “The senator is independent in what he does and when he does it.”

Rockland County Executive Scott Vanderhoef is considered the top candidate to run for the seat is Morahan steps aside, but Vanderhoef said today that it’s premature to even discuss it, and as far as he knows, Morahan will run again. He called Morahan “his ally and his friend,” but wouldn’t say if he would run for the seat if Morahan retired.

“As far as I know, Tom Morahan plans to run,” Vanderhoef said. “So that’s where it sits as far as I’m concerned, and I’ve made no plans to do otherwise – but we’ll see how that all plays out.”

Rockland County GOP chairman Vincent Reda said he hasn’t spoken to Vanderhoef about possibly succeeding Morahan, and again reiterated that Morahan has told him he plans to run.

“As far as I know, Senator Morahan is running for re-election,” Reda said.

But Reda ran off a list of Republicans other than Vanderhoef who could be in the mix if Morahan doesn’t run, including Clarkstown Councilman Frank Borelli, County Legislator Ed Day and Orangetown Supervisor Paul Whalen.

On the Democratic side, there’s already a number of candidates who plan to run for the seat. But if Morahan doesn’t run, a prominent Democratic candidate could be Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski, D-New City, whose late father once unsuccessfully challenged Morahan.

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