Paterson willing to run in primary against Cuomo

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January 21, 2010

By VALERIE BAUMAN The Press Republican Thu Jan 21, 2010, 05:29 PM EST

ALBANY — New York Gov. David Paterson said Thursday he’s prepared to run in a primary against anyone, including the more popular and better funded Attorney General Andrew Cuomo in this year’s governor’s race.

“I am running for governor, and someone’s going to have to beat me, and if someone beats me, I’ll support the Democratic candidate,” Paterson said.

Then he appeared to take a shot at Cuomo, who hasn’t yet said if he’ll run and hasn’t answered questions about how he would deal with deficits or other problems: “The reason there’s all this orchestration is that when it really comes down to beat me, you have to live in the world I live (in), the world I’ve lived in for the last two years.”

In past months, Paterson has often noted that he wouldn’t seek election to the job he inherited after Eliot Spitzer resigned if the public or other Democrats signaled he shouldn’t run. But days after campaign records showed he had a fifth of the funds that Cuomo has and still trails him by a wide margin in the polls, Paterson said he’d welcome a primary.

“Everybody who ran in November ... is facing a rather strong reaction from the public,” Paterson said Thursday. “Ironically, in the same months, my approval from the public — which I usually don’t talk about — has gone up.”

A Siena College poll released this week found Paterson’s approval rating rising for the third straight month, with 38 percent of registered voters having a favorable view of him. That’s up 11 points from October when Paterson started fighting with the Legislature to cut spending that he said was needed to contend with a fiscal crisis.

“The lower your numbers, the easier it is to make them go up. ... I also think he’s decided that good government is good politics, and his fiscal austerity approach is resonating,” said Gerald Benjamin, a political scientist and former dean at SUNY New Paltz.

Although three times as many voters still prefer Cuomo over Paterson for governor, Paterson has gained on Cuomo since November. In the new Siena poll, Cuomo had a 59 percent to 21 percent edge over Paterson in a potential matchup. In November, Cuomo held a 75 percent to 16 percent lead.

Cuomo, the popular first-term attorney general and son of former Gov. Mario Cuomo, reported funds of $16.1 million. Paterson has $3 million.

Labor unions and others have been urging Cuomo to run for governor, a move that Paterson suggested Thursday may be “orchestrated.”

“This whole idea that all these people got this idea at one time is rather hard for me to believe,” Paterson said. “And what I would just point out is that while they’re beating drums ... I’m working real hard and I’m going to get this budget done. And they can do whatever they like.”

If Paterson steps down, it could eliminate a Democratic primary and clear the way for Cuomo, said Doug Muzzio, a politics professor at Baruch College.