By Joseph Spector
Staff Writer
November 18, 2005
Republicans say state party isn't true to values
Two Republican gubernatorial hopefuls on Thursday ripped the state GOP as a
left-leaning party not true to its own values, deepening the political divide as
Republicans try to form a slate of candidates for next year's election.
In a letter this week to state Conservative Party leaders, Republican
candidate Randy Daniels said he would break from GOP ranks and run as the
Conservative nominee, even if he loses the Republican nomination for governor
next year.
"I would run a vigorous, hard-fought campaign and use every avenue open to me
to promote my candidacy to the voters of New York," said Daniels, the state's
former secretary of state.
The Conservative Party nod is important: No Republican running for statewide
office in New York has won without Conservative support since
1974.
Candidate Patrick Manning, a state assemblyman from Dutchess
County, followed with his own criticism of the state GOP in a video to be posted
on his Web site. He said Republicans' poor showing in last week's New York
elections "should be a wake-up call."
"Voters are tired of Republicans who act and govern like liberal Democrats,"
he said.
The comments come as state GOP leaders plan to meet Monday in
Albany to begin coming to a consensus on candidates for governor and U.S.
Senate. Republican Gov. George Pataki is not seeking re-election.
State Republican Chairman Stephen Minarik blasted those who aren't interested
in building up the party.
"People who make comments like that are
detrimental to the party," Minarik said.
With the exception of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's easy
re-election victory last week, state Republicans had few major
victories.
Gubernatorial candidate John Faso said last week that the
results were indicative of the party failing to represent middle-class values.
The infighting has gotten a rise out of state Democrats, who have Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton seeking re-election next year and likely will pick state
Attorney General Eliot Spitzer as the party's candidate for governor.
"Democrats, Republicans, and voters throughout the state overwhelmingly
agree: The Republican Party needs to drastically change," state Democratic
Chairman Herman "Denny" Farrell Jr. said Thursday.
In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 5-to-3 ratio,
Republicans need to be unified, said Erie County GOP Chairman Robert
Davis.
"If we have candidates who talk like (Daniels), that is going to
end up getting Eliot Spitzer elected," he said.
Republicans hope to agree on a gubernatorial candidate by year's end, Minarik
said. Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro, whose campaign has
been marred by gaffes and miscues, is the party's likely challenger to Clinton.
Minarik supports former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld for New York
governor. Yet Weld is being challenged by Faso, Daniels and
Manning.
Meanwhile, Rochester-area billionaire Tom Golisano, the retired
founder of Paychex Inc., switched from the Independence Party to Republican last
month and is considering a fourth run for governor.
Golisano advisers said he likely won't make an official decision until early
next year.
