Tedisco Considering Running Statewide in 2010
Advisors hint at a run for governor, but say being Bloomberg’s LG could be perfect match
Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:52:00
Now that the steamroller has been steamrolled out of Albany, the man who was on the receiving end of that famous comment more than a year ago appears to be feeling out the possibilities for a run for governor himself. Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco (R-Saratoga/Schenectady) is mulling a statewide campaign in 2010, according to several people close to him. His eyes are on the Executive Mansion, and the whispering campaign that he could be the candidate to win it back for his party has begun.
Tedisco says he is a much bigger fan of his prospective opponent, new Gov. David Paterson (D) than he was of Eliot Spitzer (D), and that his focus for now is on collaborative governing rather than planning to run for governor.
But he did not do much to tamp down on the rumors emanating from several close to him.
“My philosophy has always been this: I think people move you from one level to another,” he said. “My real goal has always been [to be] a public servant, to be at the best place where I could serve the largest number of people at the best level of excellence. I think I’m there right now. Should that change because of discussion with others and the populace and the concern they have for moving forward, anything’s possible.”
Tedisco catapulted himself into the statewide and national media twice in the past year, first by leading the opposition to Spitzer’s plan to give driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, then with his calls for Spitzer’s resignation or possible impeachment.
Nonetheless, so far, several political consultants and observers told about the possibility of a Tedisco gubernatorial run have been unimpressed, just as they were with the news that Rep. Peter King (R-Nassau) might run for governor. The consultants generally agreed that Tedisco at the top of the statewide ticket would represent a similar sort of GOP capitulation as the gubernatorial campaign of John Faso, himself a former Assembly minority leader. Faso pulled just 28 percent of the vote against Spitzer.
Like Faso, Tedisco has relatively low name recognition in the state as a whole and does not have the experience raising money on the kind of scale which most expect would be required for the 2010 gubernatorial race. Current estimates put the cost of a successful campaign at a minimum of $30-40 million.
That has led to discussion of another idea, which Tedisco and his supporters seem to be considering more seriously: promoting him as the perfect lieutenant governor running mate for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, if Bloomberg decides to rejoin the Republican Party and make a run for Albany in 2010.
To many state Republicans, Bloomberg would make the ideal candidate for the top of the ticket, with both high and favorable name recognition in many parts of the state and his largely lauded record of governing during his two terms as mayor.
And at least as important, Bloomberg’s personal fortune would easily enable him to self-finance a campaign, if he chooses. He spent $77 million and $81 million on each of his mayoral campaigns. If Bloomberg does decide to run, many expect the willingness to seed money to state Republicans he has demonstrated while in office, most recently with his $500,000 donation to the GOP State Senate committee in February, will help clear his path to the nomination.
Notably, Bloomberg has seen several of his biggest goals in office scuttled by the state government, with both his push for a new Jets stadium on Manhattan’s West Side and a congestion pricing system for New York City scuttled in the Capitol.
With 26 years’ experience in the Assembly and two and a half as minority leader, he could be the man with the skills to help negotiate through Bloomberg’s agenda as lieutenant governor, according to those pumping up the minority leader’s statewide prospects.
And he has proven the skills to be a good hatchet man when necessary as well.
“If you’re looking for a pit bull, an attack dog good at getting media coverage, I think that makes a whole lot of sense,” said Democratic political consultant Steve Greenberg, considering the idea of a Bloomberg-Tedisco partnership.
But his supporters are for now focusing on the possible campaign, arguing that Tedisco could balance a Bloomberg ticket in several important ways: Bloomberg is a billionaire, Tedisco is proudly working class. Bloomberg is a graduate of Johns Hopkins and Harvard, Tedisco of Union College and the College of Saint Rose. Bloomberg is known for his more placid public persona, Tedisco for a more aggressive approach. Bloomberg is Jewish, Tedisco is Catholic.
One Tedisco backer described the idea as a perfect match. Tedisco agreed.
“It’s hard to not say that. He’s downstate, I’m upstate. He’s more moderate to left, I’m a conservative. You need that balance, I think,” he said.
Tedisco said he has yet to really discuss the idea of Bloomberg running for governor with the mayor himself.
“I think I mentionedi it once, but no in-depth talks,” he said.
But he does like the idea of having Bloomberg as the GOP gubernatorial candidate.
“I think he could be, should be,” Tedisco said.
Either way, said Republican consultant Bob Bellafiore, the state GOP should be happy to have Tedisco and his supporters making noises about the minority leader running statewide in 2010, for either office.
Bellafiore has played basketball with Tedisco, who was once a star basketball player and coach, and said there are easy comparisons to be made to how Tedisco moves on the court and his approach to politics.
“He’s diligent, he’s fast, he sticks his head everywhere it needs to go—he’s real tenacious. But when the game is on the line, he’s the kind of guy who is not afraid to have the ball,” he said. “All you can really say this far out is that he’d be an important guy to have in the debate. What we learned two years ago is you need a vigorous debate.”
Tedisco said he does not expect announcements of any campaign to be made until the end of next year. But some of the strategic planning is underway, and some of the decisions are being made.
“I think they started to get made before this whole situation took place,” he said, referring to the Spitzer scandal that led to the switch in governors. “There’s a lot of discussion, a lot of thought.”
