Edwards Will Run with Paldino;Criticizes Cuomo Campaign Ad

Current Chautauqua County Executive Greg Edwards has decided he’ll be Carl Paladino’s running mate, and he’s already taken a shot at Andrew Cuomo.

This is Edwards' first campaign statement since he won the September 14 Republican primary for lieutenant governor. At that time, his running mate was Rick Lazio, who lost the Republican primary but won the Conservative Party’s nomination.

Until today Edwards, who won both the Republican and Conservative nominations, hadn’t said who he’d be running with.

Also today, he said Cuomo’s current TV ad criticizing Paladino's private business is desperate and misleading. The ad faults Paladino for securing $10 million a year in leases from the state and for getting a $1.4 million tax break.

"Andrew Cuomo and the Democrat Party are smearing Carl Paladino's successful career and record as a businessman in an attempt to distract the voters," Edwards said in a news release sent to WESB and The HERO by the Paladino campaign. "Their new ad attacking Carl's leases with State government fails to mention that Democrat Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and his predecessors signed off on all of Carl's leases. So did the Democrat Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and his predecessors."

Edwards quotes the state Office of General Services, which said Paladino was a good landlord who won his leases through low bids.

"Here's the bad news for Andrew Cuomo: his coronation has been canceled," Edwards said in the news release.