State Republicans dealt a stunning blow to their own leadership in a raucous convention fight yesterday and overwhelmingly chose former Long Island Congressman Rick Lazio to mount a long-shot bid for governor against Democrat Andrew Cuomo.
In a bitterly divided gathering at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers in Midtown, the party roundly rejected the candidacy of Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, a Democrat-turned-Republican whom state GOP Chairman Ed Cox argued had a better shot against the popular and well-funded state attorney general.
The result not only humiliated Cox and left the party split, it also gave the GOP a lackluster standard-bearer going into an election season in which Republicans are hoping to make big gains across the nation by capitalizing on anti-incumbent fervor.
“This whole thing was a disaster. Politically, it was a disaster. Organizationally, it was a disaster,” said a GOP insider. “It was a train wreck.”
Lazio is best known for his failed 2000 US Senate campaign against Hillary Rodham Clinton.
He trails far behind Cuomo in fund-raising, and has failed to break through in opinion polls despite months of campaigning.
In his acceptance speech, he cast his Democratic foe as an Albany insider and a defender of the “status Cuomo.”
“There are some who say that winning is too tough and that Andrew Cuomo is invincible,” Lazio said. “You know what I say to that: Bring ’em on.”
Cuomo had $16 million in his campaign war chest as of January, compared to Lazio’s $647,000.
After selecting Lazio, the party nominated State Island District Attorney Dan Donovan to run for attorney general.
Party leaders insisted the GOP would rally behind Lazio, but privately many admitted Levy, would have proven a more potent threat to Cuomo in the heavily Democratic Empire State.
“They made a mistake,” said Steve Goldberg, a Republican operative who participated in Levy’s cheering section during the convention vote.
“At the end of the day, Lazio, unfortunately, can’t win. Now they’re going to alienate the Tea Party people. They’ve lost that undercurrent.”
Lazio could still face a challenge from the right by Buffalo real-estate tycoon and Tea Party favorite Carl Paladino.
Cox said he doesn’t plan to resign as state GOP chairman. Levy would not rule out running on an independent line.