GOP trick play in Westchester

ALBANY — The state Republican Party has inserted itself into another party’s primary on behalf of Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.

In advance of the Reform Party Sept. 12 primary, the state Republican committee paid for mailers sent out to registered voters unaffiliated with a party, encouraging them to write in the name of Astorino, who is also running unopposed on the Republican ticket.

State Sen. George Latimer, a Democrat and the Reform Party executive committee’s choice for county executive, accused Astorino of attempting “a hostile takeover of the Reform Party.”

Astorino created the minor party, but it was hijacked last year by Guardian Angels founder and radio talk show host Curtis Sliwa and his allies, a move that’s being challenged in court.

The party then enacted as part of its rules this year the almost unheard of approach in New York of allowing unaffiliated voters to participate in its primaries.

State GOP spokeswoman Jessica Proud downplayed her organization’s role in helping Astorino with the Reform Party primary.