Astorino accepts state GOP’s nomination for governor
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino accepted the Republican nomination to run for governor Thursday, painting a picture of New York as a state in decline due to an overbearing government.
Astorino, facing an uphill battle against popular and well-financed incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo, called for term limits for state legislators, who he said had committed “political malpractice” by catering to special interest groups. He said New York government had increased taxes to support itself and overregulated businesses, pushing residents and industry out of the state.
“If Henry Hudson and Giovanni da Verrazzano pulled into New York Harbor today, they”™d turn their ships around and head south,” Astorino told delegates at the Westchester Hilton in Rye Brook. “What they”™d see is the word ”˜closed.”™ Closed for business, closed for innovation, closed for honest, responsible government.”
Astorino, 47, said the governor”™s administration was “preying on local municipalities” by imposing a property tax cap and not offering relief to state mandates like Medicaid and pension contributions, which make up the majority of local budget costs. Medicaid contributions in New York were more than Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania combined, he said.
“What have our politicians done? They”™ve nearly ruined a once-great state,” he said. “They”™ve murdered innovation and chased away the dreamers.”
The candidate clearly outlined some campaign talking points ”“ he wants to repeal Cuomo”™s gun control law, the SAFE Act, and said if elected he”™ll dismantle the Common Core public school curriculum in favor of local control. Astorino also said he”™d allow for natural gas mining through hydraulic fracturing, a drilling method that has seen opposition from environmental and civic groups while proponents say it will bring jobs and money to depressed regions of the state. Cuomo, 57, has avoided taking a stance on the issue, deferring a position until a state health review is completed, he has said.
Notably absent from Astorino”™s acceptance speech was any discussion of social issues. Astorino has twice won handily in elections for county executive in Westchester, where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one. He”™ll face a similar deficit statewide, and in the early goings his opponents have sought to define him as a tea party Republican with conservative views on abortion and women”™s issues.
At the beginning of his campaign in March, Astorino trailed his opponent with only about $1 million in the bank compared to $33 million for Cuomo, who also has large leads in early polling. Despite the advantage, Cuomo”™s camp has struck early in the campaign launching a series of ads criticizing Astorino for a standoff with the federal government over building affordable housing in Westchester. A Democratic-run group called the Astorino Truth Squad has sought to define the candidate for voters outside of Westchester who may not be as familiar with him. County Democrats have gone as far as to propose a bill to ask for Astorino”™s resignation, saying he has neglected his county duties while campaigning around the state.
If the governor”™s team has been mobilized though, Cuomo himself has been quiet ”“ avoiding acknowledging his opponent publicly to the point where he hasn”™t mentioned his name. In a recent visit to Tarrytown during which he spoke to local business leaders, Cuomo did not meet with the local press or take questions on his campaign.
Astorino accepted the nomination on his home turf Thursday with little drama, as the sole nominee after other potential candidates like Donald Trump and Carl Paladino had long dropped out of the race.
State Republicans also nominated Chemung County Sheriff Christopher Moss for lieutenant governor, John Cahill for attorney general and Onondaga County Comptroller Robert Antonacci for state comptroller. Cahill will face incumbent Eric T. Schneiderman and Antonacci will run against incumbent Thomas DiNapoli.