2006 Briefing: Gubernatorial and Senatorial Race

[Ignacio Upton]

New Yorkers overall saw the Democrats do really well. Despite Bloomberg winning in New York City, Democrats are in control in Suffolk County and have extended their control over Nassau. Upstate, Saratoga Springs now has a Democratic Mayor, and in Syracuse the Democratic Mayor fended off a close re-election against his Republican opponent. In Buffalo the new Democratic Mayor won overwhelmingly. In Westchester the Democrats also did pretty well, although it was a status quo result. Spano got re-elected County Executive, and Democrats might control Westchester's County Clerk assuming the narrow lead holds up.However, Janet DiFiore, Jeanine Pirro's protege, appears to by leading over Democratic Tony Castro, the guy who almost beat Pirro in 2001. Further up the Hudson Valley we swept into power in Ulster County for the first time in several decades, we now control the County Legislature. However, the Democrats in New York are in really good shape right now:

1. We have a Gubernatorial Election next year, with Elliot Spitzer our nominee. The Republicans will either nominate failed two-time Independence Party candidate Tom Golisano, or Former Massachusetts Governor Williami Weld, the guy who Kerry beat in his 1996 re-election. If Golisano is nominated, the Republicans are done, because how can they run on anything Pataki "accomplished" when they nominate one of his critics? Also, Weld may the most electable, but he is "bored" meaning he will run around whereever he wants to in search of an elective office. If the Republicans try to attack Hillary for opportunistically using the Senate, we can attack Weld. Look for the Club for Growth or some other extreme corporate outfit to spend boatloads of money to attack Spitzer. Wall Street is scared of him, and they will move to fight him with a corporate swift boating against his integrity and his character. I believe that Spitzer will almost certainly win, but I do not know by how much.

2. Hillary is having her re-election race next year. Jeanine Pirro is the likely candidate, who has had many gaffes recently. Including sending a donation letter to Hillary at the White House, pausing during her opening press conference because she loses page 10, and calling the Democrats child molester-coddlers. However, do not discount Pirro, as she will receive a lot of money from the Republicans across the country. She will try to present herself as a tough prosecutor who helps battered women and fights internet pedophiles (how does that quallify her for the Senate I don't know?) but she and her husband are very corrupt with mafia ties. Her husband also served a year in jail for tax evasion. Some of the items he failed to report were things that Jeanine bought or owned. Also, her limo driver is one of the highest paid employees in the county, moreso than the President of Westchester Community College. Although, she might not even get the Conservative Party's endorsement, and they are looking to support Former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer.