MARK Green, former public advocate and would-be attorney general, is doing so poorly in his battle against Andrew Cuomo that he may be shut out of next month’s Democratic nominating convention, key party insiders have told The Post.
The Democratic insiders said Green, who is running second to former federal Housing Secretary Cuomo in every public-opinion poll, appears unable to win the minimum 25 percent convention vote that’s required for an automatic spot on the September primary ballot.
Such an embarrassing loss would force Green – who narrowly lost the mayoral race to Mike Bloomberg in 2001 – to circulate nominating petitions to appear on the ballot, a potentially difficult and costly task.
While Green has been within striking distance of Cuomo in some polls, he’s being crushed in the battle to win crucial Democratic Party and labor-union backing, the insiders agree.
“Green will have a hard time getting to 25 percent – that’s become clear,” said one of the state’s most important Democrats, who is neutral in the attorney general’s race.
“People just don’t like him. He’s obnoxious. And while Cuomo is arrogant, too, he is able to hide it.
“He’s turned on the charm and is more compelling and seemingly sincere. Mark is forced. He can’t mask it,” the insider added.
A close associate of one of the state’s best-known elected Democrats said people have been paying too much attention to the closeness of the polls and not enough to Cuomo’s party victories.
“It’s kind of like a ballgame in which nobody is looking at the line score,” he said. “A.C. is way, way out in front. He just kept hitting singles: got the unions, got the elected officials, got the [county Democratic] chairs. His fund-raising has outpaced everyone else.
“The score is 20-2 in the ninth inning, and it doesn’t look as if Mark Green has even suited up.”
Cuomo has won the endorsement of several major unions, including Dennis Rivera’s hospital workers, the Teamsters and UNITE, and the backing of the Bronx, Kings, Queens, Suffolk, Albany, and Onondaga county Democratic Committees.
He also has landed important personal endorsements from City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings.