At a recent republican fund raiser held in Northern Westchester for Matt Slater, Supervisor in the Town of Yorktown and one of the few rising republicans in the NY suburbs, Congressman and Gubenatorial candidate Lee Zeldin showed up and made his way around the crowd of over 100. Missing from the event was Westchester native and resident Rob Astorino.
Astorino, the two-term Westchester County Executive didn’t know about the event, but the fact that Zeldin showed up in Astorino’s backyard to seek out GOP support drew the interest of a number of local republicans in attendance. Which brings us to the question in our headline. Can Astorino get through a republcian primary and get to a rematch against Governor Andrew Cuomo? And can Cuomo make it through his scandals and investigations to be on the ballot in 2022?
Cuomo and Astorino squared off in 2014 with Cuomo getting 54% of the vote, to 40% for Astorino. Cracking the 40% threshhold was a small victory for Astorino, but since then, a Blue Wave landed on Westchester in 2017 after the election of President Donald Trump, resulting in Astorino losing his re-election bid to a third term as County Executive.
Three years later, Astorino ran for State Senate in the 40th District and narrowly lost to democrat State Senator Peter Harckham. For some Westchester republicans there love for Astorino is still there, but most are doubtful he can pull off another race for Governor. “If he can’t win a race for State Senate, how can he ask us to support him for Governor?” asked one Westcheter elected republican.
Astorino announced his candidacy on May 11. ““In normal years, New York leads the nation in highest taxes, government corruption, worst business climate and losing our people to other states. This past year, we’ve also led the nation in Covid deaths and job loss,” said Astorino. “And despite being bailed out by the federal government, Cuomo and state legislators still raised taxes and still went on a wild spending spree, passing a budget this year that increased spending by a staggering and unaffordable $18 billion. New York now spends more money annually than more populated states Texas and Florida combined. Just think about that for a minute. It’s crazy. Especially when you realize how healthy the economies of those states are, how fast they’re growing and the fact that neither has a state income tax,” said Astorino in his kick-off.
Long Island Congressman Lee Zeldin has quickly picked up more than two dozen County GOP endorsements and has raised $2.7 Million. But most important, Zeldin won a straw poll of republican party county chairman with 85% of the vote, with Astorino getting 5%. NYS GOP Chair Nick Langworthy supports Zeldin, saying, “Lee achieved 85 percent of the weighted vote. It was substantial, it was representing all regions. I think he really, truly earned this title of presumptive nominee. I think this will give an added boost to his campaign as he goes to raise funds and build support both in the Republican party and cross over voters.”
Langworthy added that republican donors “don’t want to waste money on a primary. The task is too great. It’s so hard to win in a blue state.”
Astorino vowed to continue his campaign. “The three million Republicans throughout New York will be deciding who the strongest candidate is in next June’s primary, not a few dozen party insiders, many of whom have told me they were pressured into making an endorsement they weren’t ready to make.”
Another roadblock for Astorino is Andrew Guiliani, the son of Rudy Guiliani, who is also running for the republican nomination for NY Governor. Guiliani got 0% of the leadership vote in the strawpoll but is vying for the headlines. Zeldin also has the Conservative Party nod.
There is also no guarantee that Governor Andrew Cuomo will run for a fourth term in 2022. Cuomo has $17 Million in cash on hand and is holding a fund raiser on June 29. All indictations are that Cuomo wants to run for a fourth term, but the allegations over the past year of improper behavior with female staffers have put his political future in jeopardy, along with allegations of providing misleading information during COVID of Nursing Home Deaths.
NY Attorney General Tish James is conducting an investigation, which could result in impeachment proceedings in the State legislature. Cuomo has refused several calls from prominent democrats for him to resign, including State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, from Westchester.
It is very possible that neither Cuomo or Astorino make it to the November 2022 ballot for Governor. One Westchester republican said, “I have voted for Rob 5 times. Three for County Executive, once for state senate and once for Governor. But I think its over now.”
