The results are in from yesterday's primary vote, showing the major statewide candidates who will eat up your airtime and brain space between now and November. The winners are:
For governor: Carl Paladino surfed on Tea Party discontent to best Rick Lazio in the GOP, thanks to his Nixon-era campaign strategist and a few tactics worthy of P.T. Barnum. (Sending a mailing that's scented with the odor of rotting vegetables has to get you points for creativity.) Paladino will go on to face the calculating Andrew Cuomo on the Democratic ticket. Not sure how popular Cuomo is going to be in the Catskills after the fuss he kicked up about local hospitals and the water supply earlier this year, but all polls indicate that he's got an excellent shot at the seat. (Here's the NYT and the Times Herald-Record on the governor's race.)
For Congress: Democratic incumbents Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer will battle a two Republicans -- Joseph J. DioGuardi and Jay Townsend, respectively -- who face pretty long odds in the generals. (NYT.)
In the state legislature: Pedro Espada, your hour has come. State senator Espada got spanked by voters, as did senator Bill Stachowski of Buffalo and disgraced senator Hiram Monserrate, who was running for State Assembly after being kicked out. Looks like even New York voters have their limits. (From the AP via the Daily Freeman, and from the NYT.)
UPDATED 10:49am: Just like the rest of the electorate, I overlooked the race for Attorney General this morning. From the NYT:
“The overwhelming feature of the race was, alas, lack of attention to it,” said David S. Birdsell, a professor of public affairs at Baruch College. “To a certain extent, that is a residue of the absence of a meaningful contest in the Senate and governor positions. It became a contest between who could claim local recognition and support but not statewide recognition and support.”
Of a crowded field, NYC state senator Eric Schneiderman won the Democratic nomination for the race. It'll be between him and unopposed Republican Daniel K. Donovan Jr. in the generals.
Photo of Carl Paladino from his Facebook page.
