They just don’t get any respect. The Rodney Dangerfield-like New York Republican Party’s only choice to challenge Sen. Chuck Schumer next year, CNBC economic analyst Larry Kudlow, has indeed decided to run for the Senate — but he’s going to do it in Connecticut instead, against Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, he told disappointed GOP leaders.
Kudlow, a former Reagan-administration official and Bear Stearns chief economist with residences in New York and Connecticut, privately notified Empire State GOP Chairman Ed Cox of his decision days ago in what is widely seen as a serious embarrassment to Cox, who has told associates for months that Kudlow would be his party’s candidate against Schumer, sources told The Post.
Kudlow’s decision — based on the view that Blumenthal, who backed President Obama’s pact with Iran, can be beaten while Schumer, who opposed it, cannot — has left the long-struggling New York GOP with no idea of who their candidate against Schumer will be.
“Do you know anybody who wants to run?” a prominent GOP consultant quipped to The Post.
Cox, who was unanimously re-elected to a new two-year term as party leader last week, sought to put a good face on the situation by insisting, “Potential candidates for New York’s Senate race are getting ready to speak to Republican audiences around the state after the November election.’’
But he repeatedly refused to supply any names.
The lack of a credible candidate against Schumer could allow a maverick outsider to become the nominee and damage other GOP candidates, as happened in 2010 when Buffalo millionaire Carl Paladino wrested the nomination for governor from party-establishment favorite Rick Lazio, Republican insiders say.
A Quinnipiac University poll last week found Schumer with the lowest job-approval rating since 2000 — but it was still a positive 54-32 percent.
State Republicans have been unable to field a credible challenger to Schumer since he defeated Sen. Alfonse D’Amato in 1998.
As a result, “national Republicans have no interest in funding a challenge to Schumer,’’ a prominent GOP consultant told The Post.
Hot rumor in state government circles has Howard Glaser — Gov. Cuomo’s former director of state operations, who is now on the outs with the governor, in part because he’s married to Karen Hinton, Mayor de Blasio’s press secretary — returning to the Executive Chamber, possibly replacing William Mulrow as secretary, or chief-of-staff.
But a source familiar with the situation insisted that Glaser, who left Cuomo’s office for a lucrative private-sector job 15 months ago, “has no interest’’ in returning to the state payroll, largely because he’ll soon be paying the tuitions of three college-age kids.
Jeb Bush, the early front-runner but now trailing badly in the presidential polls, has just begun seeking support from some prominent, uncommitted New York Republicans, but he’s meeting a cool reception.
“They’re avoiding his calls,’’ said a prominent GOP operative.
“In the past couple of years when New York party leaders asked Jeb to do some things for them, like come to a fund-raiser, it was he who didn’t respond.
“The DC insiders who run Jeb’s campaign obviously didn’t plan ahead,’’ the operative continued.