GOP nominates Molinaro; Cuomo receives Dems’ nod
NEW YORK » Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro won the Republican nomination for New York governor on Wednesday, promising that if elected he would take on corruption and entrenched special interests while working for “everyday New Yorkers” of every political affiliation.
At the state Democratic convention in Hemp-
stead, Gov. Andrew Cuomo easily won his party’s nomination, claiming more than 95 percent of the votes cast by delegates. Liberal activist and actress Cynthia Nixon received only a smattering of votes — and a few boos — in the nomination process. It wasn’t a surprise: Cuomo is the de facto leader of the party and the convention is run by his allies.
The 42-year-old Molinaro is a former state lawmaker whose political career began at age 19 when he was elected mayor of the small Hudson Valley community of Tivoli. Delegates to the New York state Republican convention nominated him on the first day of the twoday gathering in a Manhattan ballroom.
“I don’t come from wealth or fame. I wasn’t born into a political dynasty. I’m no film or television star. I’m just an everyday New Yorker with a calling and some hardearned know-how,” Molinaro told delegates in his acceptance speech. “I have no interest in ideology for ideology sake. That doesn’t solve problems, people do.”
Molinaro’s comments targeted two potential rivals in the November election: Cuomo, a Democrat and son of the late Gov. Mario Cuomo, and Nixon, who is challenging Cuomo in the September Democratic primary.
Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in New York by more than 2-1, meaning Molinaro will have to appeal to many voters from outside his party if he hopes to prevail. Republicans haven’t held a statewide office in New York since former Gov. George Pataki left office in 2006.
Pataki addressed the convention shortly before Molinaro accepted the nomination. He called Albany the nation’s most corrupt capital city and dismissed talk about Molinaro’s uphill challenge, noting that he was also considered a longshot when he defeated the elder Cuomo in 1994.
Molinaro, who is married and has three children, initially announced he would not run for governor but changed his mind earlier this year. He quickly emerged as the GOP front runner, beating out a bid from Syracuse Republican John DeFrancisco, the deputy majority leader of the New York state Senate.
At the Democratic convention, Hillary Clinton told the crowd Democrats can win elections and stand up to Washington Republicans by sticking to their core principles when it comes to education, health care, equality and the environment.
Clinton said Democrats in New York and across the nation are showing how to advance progressive priorities while also confronting Republican President Donald Trump, who defeated Clinton to win the White House. She dismissed criticism that her party has no “bold ideas.”
“I don’t know about you, but I think it’s a bold idea that everyone in this country should have a decent standard of living,” she said.
While some liberal Democrats question Clinton’s progressive credentials, the former U.S. senator and secretary of state received a warm welcome in her home state, with cheers and applause greeting her as she took the stage. Clinton praised Cuomo, whose bid for a third term she has endorsed, and did not mention Nixon.
After his nomination, Cuomo told reporters the party really does have an anti-Washington agenda.
“This was really an overwhelming show of support, frankly more than I expected,” he said.
Nixon was not invited to speak at the convention but attended anyway. Asked about Clinton’s support for Cuomo, she said voters won’t make their decisions based on endorsements. Nixon can still appear on the September Democratic primary ticket by collecting voter signatures; she will already appear on the November ballot as the nominee of the left-leaning Working Families Party.
“Andrew Cuomo can get all the endorsements he wants,” she said. “I think at the end of the day, voters vote on peoples’ records, not on surrogates.”
Nixon has faulted Cuomo for not doing enough to address education inequalities, corruption or the lack of funding for New York City’s subways. Cuomo points to his successful push for gun control laws, same-sex marriage and a $15 minimum wage.
The party nominated New York City Public Advocate Letitia James for attorney general. James, who had key endorsements from Cuomo and Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie of the Bronx, beat Buffalo attorney Leecia Eve and Zephyr Teachout, a law professor and liberal activist who lives in Dover Plains in Dutchess County.