Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Rick Lazio has dropped out of the New York governor’s race. Lazio lost the Republican primary earlier this month to Carl Paladino, but won the Conservative Party’s votes. "And, while my heart beckons me forward, my head tells me that my continued presence on the Conservative line would simply lead to the election of Andrew Cuomo and the continuation of an entrenched political machine," Lazio said in a news conference. But that doesn’t mean Lazio is endorsing Paladino. He says he’s not convinced that Paladino will improve the state either.

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. "T...

Buffalo developer Carl Paladino beat Rick Lazio in the Republican gubernatorial primary to set up a November showdown with Democrat Andrew Cuomo. Paladino received Tea Party support in defeating Lazio, who had backing from the Republican Party. However, Lazio's running mate Chautauqua County Executive Greg Edwards won the Republican primary for lieutenant governor. Lazio and Edwards were able to keep the Conservative Party nomination for governor, meaning Edwards could run for lieutenant governor with Lazio as a Conservative and for lieutenant governor on the Republican line with Paladino. Edwards hasn't made a decision yet. US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand easily won a Democratic primary challenge from Gail Goode, a lawyer for New York City. Goode said she realized she was not considered a threat to Gillibrand, who was appointed last year to fill the unexpired term of Hillary Rodham Clinton, but ran to give voters a choice. Joseph DioGuardi won the three-way Republican primary an...

New York Governor David Paterson is losing popularity among voters, according to a Sienna Research Institute poll released this morning. The polls says if the gubernatorial primary election was held today, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, would beat Paterson 75 percent to 16 percent. That's a 9 percent drop for Paterson from last month's poll. Paterson would also lose by three points to former Congressman Rick Lazio, the only Republican to announce his candidacy so far. Siena Research Institute .