Dems in driver’s seat, then voters get say
The list of potential candidates to replace Schneiderman continued to grow on Tuesday.
It includes city Public Advocate Letitia James; Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-Nassau County); Assembly Ways and Means Committee Chairwoman Helene Weinstein (D-Brooklyn); Fordham Law Prof. Zephyr Teachout; state Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a Nassau County Dem who is a former federal prosecutor; state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Queens); former Cuomo chief of staff Benjamin Lawsky, and former city Controller Elizabeth Holtzman.
Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas has also drawn some interest. Progressives have said that state Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) and former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner might also be interested.
Former Cuomo counsel Mylan Denerstein, Hudson Valley Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, ex-City Councilman Daniel Garodnick, Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell (D-Manhattan) and state Financial Services Superintendent Maria Vullo were also mentioned as possibilities.
James did not comment to reporters about whether she’s interested in the job.
Teachout, who lost a Democratic primary for governor four years ago and an upstate congressional race two years ago, tweeted she is considering getting into the race.
Jacobs said Rice, a former Nassau County district attorney who lost to Schneiderman in the 2010 Democratic primary for attorney general, has expressed interest in the job. He also said Singas — whom Cuomo appointed a special prosecutor in the Schneiderman case Tuesday — has told him she’s open to the idea of seeking the position. Jacobs downplayed the importance of being named by the Legislature to finish out Schneiderman’s current term. “The Legislature will pick an interim, but that person won’t be able to get traction of any grand consequence before the September primary,” he said. “It’s not like you have a year. You have a few months, most of which will be over the summer when no one is paying attention.”
There have also been calls for former Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara to jump into the race.
Bharara, who had prosecuted several members of the Legislature, is not believed to have any shot at being appointed to the job, but Reform Party head Curtis Sliwa said he’d guarantee Bharara the line.
“I believe that Preet Bharara will clean up the worst political system in the nation,” Sliwa said.
Bharara told CNN the calls for him to run were “flattering,” but “I’m happy doing what I’m doing now.”
He did not, however, flatly rule a run out.
Currently, the only declared GOP candidate is little-known lawyer Manny Alicandro (photo inset left).