ALBANY – Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi is taking on Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in the race for governor with no identifiable political base, with no powerful political support, and with no indication that Democrats are open to voting for him in September’s primary, party insiders agree.
While Suozzi is hoping conservative Democrats including Italian-American and Latino Catholics, as well as Orthodox Jews, will rally to his side against the more liberal Spitzer, there’s no public polling evidence showing that’s likely.
The most recent poll, from Quinnipiac University, bluntly makes the point: Suozzi with a pathetic 8 percent of the vote, Spitzer with a massive 72 percent.
And while Suozzi will likely achieve his hope that Wall Street interests, unhappy with Spitzer’s aggressive role in policing improper business practices, will provide him with a campaign bounty, that’s a double-edged political sword.
Being seen as Wall Street’s horse in the race for governor is not likely to endear Suozzi to overwhelmingly liberal Democratic primary voters.
Suozzi, 43, has told friends he decided to challenge Spitzer because it’s “now or never” for his future political career, contending all statewide offices will likely be locked up by Democrats for the next eight years after the November election.
“Tom is a fatalist who feels he must act now,” said a close Suozzi political ally who calls Suozzi “crazy” to take on Spitzer.
Suozzi’s gamble is a dangerous one for his own political career. He may destroy his rising-star status if his run against Spitzer turns ugly and damages whoever the Democratic candidate turns out to be.