New York gubernatorial election, 2006
Encyclopedia
The New York gubernatorial election of 2006 was a race for the governorship
of this U.S. state
. Eliot Spitzer
was elected on November 7, 2006, succeeding Governor George Pataki
, the three-term incumbent, who did not run for a fourth term.
Spitzer was slated to serve between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2010, but he announced his resignation on March 12, 2008, amid news of his involvement in a prostitution scandal. Spitzer was succeeded on March 17 by Lieutenant Governor
David Paterson
.
. Spitzer's campaign manager was Ryan Toohey of Global Strategy Group
, which Spitzer had hired for his 1998 campaign for attorney general and for the gubernatorial campaign. While long rumored, Spitzer's announcement was nevertheless considered unusually early—nearly two years before the day of the gubernatorial election. Some pundits believed the timing of Spitzer's announcement was due to Spitzer's desire to see if Senator Charles Schumer
, a more senior Democrat, would run. Schumer, who was largely favored in opinion polls in a hypothetical matchup against Spitzer, announced in November that he would not run for Governor, instead accepting an offer to sit on the powerful Finance Committee
and head the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
. After Schumer announced he would maintain his Senate seat, another Democrat, Andrew Cuomo
, announced his plans to run for Spitzer's vacated Attorney General's seat.
Spitzer won an early vote of confidence on January 22, 2005 by gaining the endorsement of the Working Families Party
, which has taken advantage of New York's electoral fusion
system to act as a kingmaker over Democratic nominees. It is backed heavily by figures from community group ACORN
and labor unions, particularly those that broke from the AFL-CIO
to form the Change to Win Federation
. In the months after the WFP endorsement, several Change to Win unions have announced that they are endorsing Spitzer under their own name, including UNITE HERE
, the Teamsters
, and the United Food and Commercial Workers
.
In the latter half of 2005, Spitzer sought to further solidify support for his campaign by touring the state, seeking and giving political endorsements. These included cross endorsements with former-Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer
in the New York City Mayoral election
, Matthew Driscoll
in the Syracuse
Mayoral election, and State Senator Byron Brown
in the Buffalo
Mayoral election. The benefit to Spitzer in these endorsement deals is valuable media attention as he stumped for the candidates.
As a result of Spitzer's relative speed in uniting state Democrats to his side, he has gained the respect of Democratic leaders nationwide. Bill Richardson
dubbed Spitzer the "future of the Democratic Party," at a fundraiser held in June 2005 for Spitzer's gubernatorial campaign http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/14376.html.
With a large polling lead in the Democratic primary(http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x11373.xml?ReleaseID=928), the June 2006 Quinnipiac poll showed him leading Nassau
county executive
Thomas Suozzi
76 - 13 percent, compared to a 73 - 13 percent lead in a May 17, 2006 poll.
Much of the attention of watchers of New York politics then turned to the state Republican Party, especially the future of three-term governor George Pataki
. Polling throughout 2004 and into 2005 consistently showed Spitzer defeating Pataki in theoretical matchups. Such a scenario may have proved unappealing to Pataki. At the time, he was making overtures toward seeking the Republican nomination for the presidency in 2008. Pataki announced on July 27, 2005 that he would not seek re-election and would step down at the end of his term in January 2007.
The open-seat nature of the election, along with Spitzer's positive poll numbers, and the advantage Democrats
have in New York State fueled discussion of the Republican leadership's active pursuit of candidates to run against Spitzer. By June 2006, two people announced their intention to run for the nomination: former New York Assemblyman John Faso
, who was officially endorsed at the 2006 New York State Republican Party Convention and former Massachusetts Governor William Weld, who is a native New Yorker. Shortly after the convention Weld dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination.
An additional consideration for Spitzer was the status of billionaire businessman Tom Golisano
, a three-time candidate on the Independence Party
ballot line. It was rumored that Golisano might run again, and that Republican Party insiders would seek to nominate him on their own party's line, thus fusing the Republican and Independence tickets for the first time in a gubernatorial election. Golisano recently switched his party affiliation to the GOP. However, on February 1, 2006, Golisano announced that he would not run for governor.http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/story/387414p-328759c.html
Spitzer selected African-American New York State Senate
minority leader
David Paterson
as his choice for Lieutenant Governor
and running mate in January 2006. In New York gubernatorial elections, the most important factor in the gubernatorial candidate's choice of a lieutenant governor is the need to "balance the ticket"—that is, to widen the candidate's appeal, whether by reaching out to someone from a different geographic area, ethnic background, or has a different political base.
Since announcing his candidacy, Spitzer was endorsed by numerous New Yorkers including state Comptroller Alan Hevesi
and former New York City Mayors David Dinkins
and Ed Koch
(who endorsed President Bush in 2004). In February, 2006, Spitzer received the endorsement of life-long Republican businessman Donald Trump
, who had been courted by the Republicans to run against him.
In the Democratic primary, held on September 12, 2006, Spitzer handily defeated Suozzi, securing his party's nomination with 81% of the vote (and 99% of precincts reporting).
. He originally faced former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld
, former Secretary of State Randy Daniels
, and Assemblyman Patrick Manning. Daniels and Manning both dropped out and Faso became the primary challenger to Weld. It has been reported that in early 2006, Weld offered Faso the chance to join his ticket as a candidate for lieutenant governor
, an offer Faso reportedly declined.http://www.nydems.org/news/archive/2006_06_001431.html Faso gained increasing support from party leaders in various counties, including Westchester
and Suffolk
, both of which had large delegate counts to the state convention.
In late May 2006, Faso received the nomination of the Conservative Party for governor, which guaranteed him a spot on the November ballot. He pledged to continue running for governor on the Conservative line if he lost the Republican primary to Weld.http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/09/nyregion/09conservatives.html?ex=1297141200&en=04880a80a52cc1a9&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss On the day he received the Conservative nomination, Faso announced his selection of Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef
as his running mate
for lieutenant governor.
On June 1, 2006, the Republican State Convention voted 61% to 39% to endorse Faso. By achieving over 50 percent of the vote, Faso was the designated Republican Party candidate in the September primary against Weld, but Weld still had enough to force a primary. As the Washington Post put it, "[n]ow it turns out whoever loses the GOP primary will stay in the race -- in a position likely to siphon votes from the Republican nominee." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/28/AR2006052800964.html For this reason, Weld was under tremendous pressure to drop out of the race. On June 5, Stephen J. Minarik, the chairman of the state Republican Party, who had been Weld's most prominent backer, called on Weld to withdraw in the interest of party unity. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/05/nyregion/05cnd-gov.html?hp&ex=1149566400&en=0743a7fd44898ee5&ei=5094&partner=homepage Weld formally announced his withdrawal from the race, and his support of Faso, the following day. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/06/AR2006060600786.html
John Faso has made fighting increases in school property taxes a central theme of his campaign. He announced a plan to stop the growth in school taxes http://finance.tc-library.org/Content.asp?uid=8500 and charged that Democrat Eliot Spitzer's plan for this issue would lead to a tax increase.
Faso was the original sponsor of charter school legislation and was a leading figure in the passage of Governor Pataki's proposal to create charter schools in New York State in 1998. He supports expanding the current cap on charter schools.
Faso received the “Guardian of Small Business” award from the National Federation of Independent Businesses in 1996, and the “Distinguished Public Service” award from the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy in 1997.http://www.albany.edu/rockefeller/burtonlectures/Burton%20Awards_archives.htm
For the first time since 1986, there was no significant third-party challenger to the two major parties (Herb London on the Conservative ticket in 1990, and Tom Golisano
, on the Independence ticket in 1994, 1998 and 2002).
Spitzer's 69.56% of the vote is the 2nd-highest vote share in a statewide election in New York history, after Sen. Chuck Schumer's 2004 reelection bid
, in which he won 71.16% of the vote
Ticket Designated by the 2006 Democratic State Convention
State Convention
Convention
Convention
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
of this U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
. Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
was elected on November 7, 2006, succeeding Governor George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
, the three-term incumbent, who did not run for a fourth term.
Spitzer was slated to serve between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2010, but he announced his resignation on March 12, 2008, amid news of his involvement in a prostitution scandal. Spitzer was succeeded on March 17 by Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of New York
The Lieutenant Governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the government of New York State. It is the second highest ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four year term...
David Paterson
David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
.
Democratic Party
- Eliot SpitzerEliot SpitzerEliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
- at the time was the New York State Attorney GeneralAttorney GeneralIn most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
(1999–2006) According to speeches on his website, Spitzer supports reducing property taxes, lowering the cost of health care; reducing energy costs and reforming workers' compensation. He also proposes urban revitalization, small business incentives, health insurance for every child, reducing Medicaid fraud and abuse and reducing prescription drug costs. Spitzer was nominated on September 12, 2006 over rival Thomas SuozziThomas SuozziThomas R. "Tom" Suozzi was the county executive of Nassau County, New York. He was first elected to the post of county executive in 2001, the first Democratic county executive since Eugene Nickerson left office in 1971.In 2006, he ran unsuccessfully against Eliot Spitzer for the Democratic...
. The results of the primary were:
| popular vote!! percentage | ||
| Attorney General Eliot Spitzer Eliot Spitzer Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011... | 576,246 | 80.74% |
| County Executive Thomas Suozzi Thomas Suozzi Thomas R. "Tom" Suozzi was the county executive of Nassau County, New York. He was first elected to the post of county executive in 2001, the first Democratic county executive since Eugene Nickerson left office in 1971.In 2006, he ran unsuccessfully against Eliot Spitzer for the Democratic... | 137,456 | 19.26% |
Republican Party
- John FasoJohn FasoJohn Faso was the Republican nominee for Governor of New York in 2006, and was defeated by Democratic nominee Eliot Spitzer in the largest defeat for a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state's history. This followed his loss to Alan Hevesi four years earlier in his run for State Comptroller...
- Former state Assembly minority leader (1998–2002), Republican nominee for state comptrollerComptrollerA comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
in 2002, Faso supports Medicaid reform, cutting taxes and reducing spending. On February 14, Faso launched a statewide campaign ad announcing his candidacy for governor. Later that month he was endorsed by Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long and by Congressman John SweeneyJohn E. SweeneyJohn E. Sweeney is a politician from the U.S. state of New York. A Republican, he represented New York's 20th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from January 1999 to January 2007. He was defeated for reelection in November 2006 by Democrat Kirsten...
. Faso won the nomination at the state nominating convention with over 60% of the vote. Former MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
Governor William WeldWilliam WeldWilliam Floyd Weld is a former governor of the US state of Massachusetts. He served as that state's 68th governor from 1991 to 1997. From 1981 to 1988, he was a federal prosecutor in the United States Justice Department...
withdrew as senior party officials, including state Republican chairman Stephen MinarikStephen MinarikStephen J. Minarik III was a New York State political figure who served as the chairman of the Monroe County, New York and New York State Republican Committees.-Life:...
who endorsed Weld, urged for party unity. Other unsuccessful candidates included Secretary of State Randy DanielsRandy DanielsRandy Daniels is an American journalist and educator who served as Secretary of State of New York from 2001 to 2005. He resides in Westchester, New York and is currently employed as Vice Chairman of , a real estate investing firm....
and Assemblyman Patrick ManningPatrick ManningPatrick Augustus Mervyn Manning was the fourth and sixth Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the former Political Leader of the People's National Movement . He served as Prime Minister from 17 December 1991 to 9 November 1995 and held that office again from 24 December 2001 until 26...
.
Green Party
- Malachy McCourtMalachy McCourtMalachy Gerard McCourt is an Irish-American actor, writer and politician. He was the 2006 Green Party candidate for governor in New York State, losing to the Democratic candidate Eliot Spitzer. He is the younger brother of Frank McCourt.-Personal life:Born in Brooklyn, New York, McCourt was raised...
- author, actor, talk radioTalk radioTalk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
host, raconteur and brother of Frank McCourtFrank McCourtFrancis "Frank" McCourt was an Irish-American teacher and Pulitzer Prize–winning writer, best known as the author of Angela’s Ashes, an award-winning, tragicomic memoir of the misery and squalor of his childhood....
.
Libertarian Party
- John Clifton is the official Libertarian Party Candidate for Governor. Clifton advocates a hard-core Libertarian platform, including the elimination of all taxes, bringing home all NY State National Guard soldiers from Iraq, re-opening the 9/11 investigations, fighting corporate welfare committed through Eminent Domain abuse, lowering the drinking/legal age back to 18, ending the "War on Drugs" and the smoking bans, and removing restrictions on the Second Amendment.
Rent Is Too Damn High Party
- Jimmy McMillanJimmy McMillanJames "Jimmy" McMillan III is an American political activist, perennial candidate, Vietnam War veteran, and karate expert, as well as a former postal worker and private investigator from Brooklyn, New York. He is best known as the founder of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party, a New York-based...
59, a Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veteran and former letter carrier, ran for mayor of New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 2005. In 2006 he sought to run for Governor as the candidate of the "My Rent Is Too Damn High Party". The State Board of Elections allowed him on the ballot, but only under the rubric of the "Rent Is Too High Party". That version appeared on Row H.
Nominee Eliot Spitzer and the Democratic Ticket
Eliot Spitzer was the nominee of the Democratic party of New York for Governor. On December 7, 2004, Spitzer announced his intention to seek the Democratic nomination for the 2006 election for Governor of New YorkGovernor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
. Spitzer's campaign manager was Ryan Toohey of Global Strategy Group
Global Strategy Group
Global Strategy Group is a public affairs and research firm specializing in research, strategic communications, digital strategy, grassroots and grasstops organizing, marketing and branding. GSG clients include political candidates, corporations and advocacy organizations worldwide...
, which Spitzer had hired for his 1998 campaign for attorney general and for the gubernatorial campaign. While long rumored, Spitzer's announcement was nevertheless considered unusually early—nearly two years before the day of the gubernatorial election. Some pundits believed the timing of Spitzer's announcement was due to Spitzer's desire to see if Senator Charles Schumer
Charles Schumer
Charles Ellis "Chuck" Schumer is the senior United States Senator from New York and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected in 1998, he defeated three-term Republican incumbent Al D'Amato by a margin of 55%–44%. He was easily re-elected in 2004 by a margin of 71%–24% and in 2010 by a...
, a more senior Democrat, would run. Schumer, who was largely favored in opinion polls in a hypothetical matchup against Spitzer, announced in November that he would not run for Governor, instead accepting an offer to sit on the powerful Finance Committee
United States Senate Committee on Finance
The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance is a standing committee of the United States Senate. The Committee concerns itself with matters relating to taxation and other revenue measures generally, and those relating to the insular possessions; bonded debt of the United States; customs, collection...
and head the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States Senate. It is the only organization solely dedicated to electing Democrats to the United States Senate. The DSCC's current chair is Sen. Patty Murray, who succeeded Sen. Robert Menendez following...
. After Schumer announced he would maintain his Senate seat, another Democrat, Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
, announced his plans to run for Spitzer's vacated Attorney General's seat.
Spitzer won an early vote of confidence on January 22, 2005 by gaining the endorsement of the Working Families Party
Working Families Party
The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
, which has taken advantage of New York's electoral fusion
Electoral fusion
Electoral fusion is an arrangement where two or more political parties on a ballot list the same candidate, pooling the votes for that candidate...
system to act as a kingmaker over Democratic nominees. It is backed heavily by figures from community group ACORN
Acorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
and labor unions, particularly those that broke from the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
to form the Change to Win Federation
Change to Win Federation
The Change to Win Federation is a coalition of American labor unions originally formed in 2005 as an alternative to the AFL-CIO. The coalition is associated with strong advocacy of the organizing model...
. In the months after the WFP endorsement, several Change to Win unions have announced that they are endorsing Spitzer under their own name, including UNITE HERE
UNITE HERE
UNITE HERE is a labor union in the United States and Canada with more than 265,000 active members The union's members work predominantly in the hotel, food service, laundry, warehouse, and casino gaming industries...
, the Teamsters
Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
, and the United Food and Commercial Workers
United Food and Commercial Workers
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union is a labor union representing approximately 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada in many industries, including agriculture, health care, meatpacking, poultry and food processing, manufacturing, textile, G4S Security, chemical...
.
In the latter half of 2005, Spitzer sought to further solidify support for his campaign by touring the state, seeking and giving political endorsements. These included cross endorsements with former-Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer
Fernando Ferrer
Fernando James "Freddy" Ferrer was the Borough President of The Bronx from 1987 to 2001, and was a candidate for Mayor of New York in 2001 and the Democratic Party nominee for Mayor in 2005.- Background :...
in the New York City Mayoral election
New York City mayoral election, 2005
The New York City mayoral election of 2005 occurred on Tuesday November 8, 2005, with incumbent Republican mayor Michael Bloomberg soundly defeating former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer, the Democratic nominee. They also faced several third party candidates.This was the fourth straight...
, Matthew Driscoll
Matthew Driscoll
For the basketball coach, see Matthew Driscoll .Matthew John "Matt" Driscoll is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 52nd Mayor of Syracuse, New York from July 10, 2001 until December 31, 2009....
in the Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
Mayoral election, and State Senator Byron Brown
Byron Brown
Byron William Brown II is the 58th and current mayor of Buffalo, New York, elected on November 8, 2005 and is the city's first African-American mayor. He previously served Western New York as a member of the New York State Senate and Buffalo Common Council...
in the Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
Mayoral election. The benefit to Spitzer in these endorsement deals is valuable media attention as he stumped for the candidates.
As a result of Spitzer's relative speed in uniting state Democrats to his side, he has gained the respect of Democratic leaders nationwide. Bill Richardson
Bill Richardson (politician)
William Blaine "Bill" Richardson III is an American politician, who served as the 30th Governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011. Before being elected governor, Richardson served in the Clinton administration as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Energy Secretary. Richardson has also served...
dubbed Spitzer the "future of the Democratic Party," at a fundraiser held in June 2005 for Spitzer's gubernatorial campaign http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/14376.html.
With a large polling lead in the Democratic primary(http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x11373.xml?ReleaseID=928), the June 2006 Quinnipiac poll showed him leading Nassau
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
county executive
County executive
A county executive is the head of the executive branch of government in a county. This position is common in the United States.The executive may be an elected or an appointed position...
Thomas Suozzi
Thomas Suozzi
Thomas R. "Tom" Suozzi was the county executive of Nassau County, New York. He was first elected to the post of county executive in 2001, the first Democratic county executive since Eugene Nickerson left office in 1971.In 2006, he ran unsuccessfully against Eliot Spitzer for the Democratic...
76 - 13 percent, compared to a 73 - 13 percent lead in a May 17, 2006 poll.
Much of the attention of watchers of New York politics then turned to the state Republican Party, especially the future of three-term governor George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
. Polling throughout 2004 and into 2005 consistently showed Spitzer defeating Pataki in theoretical matchups. Such a scenario may have proved unappealing to Pataki. At the time, he was making overtures toward seeking the Republican nomination for the presidency in 2008. Pataki announced on July 27, 2005 that he would not seek re-election and would step down at the end of his term in January 2007.
The open-seat nature of the election, along with Spitzer's positive poll numbers, and the advantage Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
have in New York State fueled discussion of the Republican leadership's active pursuit of candidates to run against Spitzer. By June 2006, two people announced their intention to run for the nomination: former New York Assemblyman John Faso
John Faso
John Faso was the Republican nominee for Governor of New York in 2006, and was defeated by Democratic nominee Eliot Spitzer in the largest defeat for a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state's history. This followed his loss to Alan Hevesi four years earlier in his run for State Comptroller...
, who was officially endorsed at the 2006 New York State Republican Party Convention and former Massachusetts Governor William Weld, who is a native New Yorker. Shortly after the convention Weld dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination.
An additional consideration for Spitzer was the status of billionaire businessman Tom Golisano
Tom Golisano
Blase Thomas Golisano is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of Paychex, the second-largest payroll processor in the United States and former co-owner of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team and of the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse team...
, a three-time candidate on the Independence Party
Independence Party
Independence Party can refer to various political parties past and present throughout the world, such as:*Independence Party *Independence Party *Independence Party *Independence Party...
ballot line. It was rumored that Golisano might run again, and that Republican Party insiders would seek to nominate him on their own party's line, thus fusing the Republican and Independence tickets for the first time in a gubernatorial election. Golisano recently switched his party affiliation to the GOP. However, on February 1, 2006, Golisano announced that he would not run for governor.http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/story/387414p-328759c.html
Spitzer selected African-American New York State Senate
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
minority leader
Minority leader
In U.S. politics, the minority leader is the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative body. Given the two-party nature of the U.S. system, the minority leader is almost inevitably either a Republican or a Democrat, with their counterpart being of the opposite party. The position...
David Paterson
David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
as his choice for Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of New York
The Lieutenant Governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the government of New York State. It is the second highest ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four year term...
and running mate in January 2006. In New York gubernatorial elections, the most important factor in the gubernatorial candidate's choice of a lieutenant governor is the need to "balance the ticket"—that is, to widen the candidate's appeal, whether by reaching out to someone from a different geographic area, ethnic background, or has a different political base.
Since announcing his candidacy, Spitzer was endorsed by numerous New Yorkers including state Comptroller Alan Hevesi
Alan Hevesi
Alan G. Hevesi is a Democratic politician whoserved as a New York State Assemblyman from 1971 to 1993, as Comptroller of the City of New York from 1994 to 2001, and as State Comptroller for the State of New York from 2003 to 2006...
and former New York City Mayors David Dinkins
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins is a former politician from New York City. He was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993; he was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office.-Early life:...
and Ed Koch
Ed Koch
Edward Irving "Ed" Koch is an American lawyer, politician, and political commentator. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and three terms as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989...
(who endorsed President Bush in 2004). In February, 2006, Spitzer received the endorsement of life-long Republican businessman Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
, who had been courted by the Republicans to run against him.
In the Democratic primary, held on September 12, 2006, Spitzer handily defeated Suozzi, securing his party's nomination with 81% of the vote (and 99% of precincts reporting).
Nominee John Faso and the Republican Ticket
In 2005, Faso announced his intention to run for governor. He positioned himself early as a conservative upstate candidate, while stressing his childhood roots in Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. He originally faced former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld
William Weld
William Floyd Weld is a former governor of the US state of Massachusetts. He served as that state's 68th governor from 1991 to 1997. From 1981 to 1988, he was a federal prosecutor in the United States Justice Department...
, former Secretary of State Randy Daniels
Randy Daniels
Randy Daniels is an American journalist and educator who served as Secretary of State of New York from 2001 to 2005. He resides in Westchester, New York and is currently employed as Vice Chairman of , a real estate investing firm....
, and Assemblyman Patrick Manning. Daniels and Manning both dropped out and Faso became the primary challenger to Weld. It has been reported that in early 2006, Weld offered Faso the chance to join his ticket as a candidate for lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of New York
The Lieutenant Governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the government of New York State. It is the second highest ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four year term...
, an offer Faso reportedly declined.http://www.nydems.org/news/archive/2006_06_001431.html Faso gained increasing support from party leaders in various counties, including Westchester
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
and Suffolk
Suffolk County, New York
Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
, both of which had large delegate counts to the state convention.
In late May 2006, Faso received the nomination of the Conservative Party for governor, which guaranteed him a spot on the November ballot. He pledged to continue running for governor on the Conservative line if he lost the Republican primary to Weld.http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/09/nyregion/09conservatives.html?ex=1297141200&en=04880a80a52cc1a9&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss On the day he received the Conservative nomination, Faso announced his selection of Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef
C. Scott Vanderhoef
C. Scott Vanderhoef is the County Executive of Rockland County, New York and was the Republican and Conservative Party nominee for Lieutenant Governor of New York in the 2006 statewide elections...
as his running mate
Running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position but can also properly be used when referring to both candidates, such as "Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen were...
for lieutenant governor.
On June 1, 2006, the Republican State Convention voted 61% to 39% to endorse Faso. By achieving over 50 percent of the vote, Faso was the designated Republican Party candidate in the September primary against Weld, but Weld still had enough to force a primary. As the Washington Post put it, "[n]ow it turns out whoever loses the GOP primary will stay in the race -- in a position likely to siphon votes from the Republican nominee." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/28/AR2006052800964.html For this reason, Weld was under tremendous pressure to drop out of the race. On June 5, Stephen J. Minarik, the chairman of the state Republican Party, who had been Weld's most prominent backer, called on Weld to withdraw in the interest of party unity. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/05/nyregion/05cnd-gov.html?hp&ex=1149566400&en=0743a7fd44898ee5&ei=5094&partner=homepage Weld formally announced his withdrawal from the race, and his support of Faso, the following day. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/06/AR2006060600786.html
John Faso has made fighting increases in school property taxes a central theme of his campaign. He announced a plan to stop the growth in school taxes http://finance.tc-library.org/Content.asp?uid=8500 and charged that Democrat Eliot Spitzer's plan for this issue would lead to a tax increase.
Faso was the original sponsor of charter school legislation and was a leading figure in the passage of Governor Pataki's proposal to create charter schools in New York State in 1998. He supports expanding the current cap on charter schools.
Faso received the “Guardian of Small Business” award from the National Federation of Independent Businesses in 1996, and the “Distinguished Public Service” award from the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy in 1997.http://www.albany.edu/rockefeller/burtonlectures/Burton%20Awards_archives.htm
For the first time since 1986, there was no significant third-party challenger to the two major parties (Herb London on the Conservative ticket in 1990, and Tom Golisano
Tom Golisano
Blase Thomas Golisano is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of Paychex, the second-largest payroll processor in the United States and former co-owner of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team and of the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse team...
, on the Independence ticket in 1994, 1998 and 2002).
Election results
Spitzer's 69.56% of the vote is the 2nd-highest vote share in a statewide election in New York history, after Sen. Chuck Schumer's 2004 reelection bid
United States Senate election in New York, 2004
The 2004 United States Senate election in New York took place on November 2, 2004 along with elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as the presidential election, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent...
, in which he won 71.16% of the vote
General Election
| Poll Source | Date | Spitzer (D) | Faso (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marist College | November 1, 2006 | 69% | 24% |
| Siena Research Institute | November 1, 2006 | 69% | 24% |
| Zogby International Poll | September 11, 2006 | 60.9% | 25.8% |
| Green Papers Poll | September 9, 2006 | 72.5% | 26.9 |
| Green Papers Poll | September 1, 2006 | 68.1% | 23.6 |
| Zogby International Poll | August 28, 2006 | 60.7% | 25.9% |
| Marist College | August 23, 2006 | 67% | 23% |
| Quinnipiac | August 23, 2006 | 65% | 17% |
| Siena Research Institute | August 7, 2006 | 70% | 17% |
| Rasmussen | August 5, 2006 | 62% | 21% |
| Zogby International Poll | July 24, 2006 | 60.8% | 24.8% |
| Marist College Poll | July 19, 2006 | 69% | 20% |
| Zogby International Poll | June 21, 2006 | 60.6% | 24.8% |
| Quinnipiac | June 21, 2006 | 66% | 20% |
| Siena College Poll | June 19, 2006 | 67% | 21% |
| Quinnipiac | May 17, 2006 | 67% | 16% |
| Marist College Poll | May 10, 2006 | 70% | 20% |
| Siena College Poll | May 4, 2006 | 64% | 17% |
| Strategic Vision | April 28, 2006 | 63% | 26% |
| Quinnipiac | March 29, 2006 | 66% | 18% |
| Strategic Vision | March 2, 2006 | 65% | 24% |
| Marist College Poll | February 1, 2006 | 68% | 18% |
| Zogby International Poll | January 26, 2006 | 54% | 17% |
| Quinnipiac University Poll | January 19, 2006 | 61% | 19% |
| Quinnipiac University Poll | December 14, 2005 | 64% | 14% |
| Siena College Poll | October 12, 2005 | 63% | 19% |
| Quinnipiac University Poll | October 4, 2005 | 60% | 14% |
| Marist College Poll | September 30, 2005 | 64% | 20% |
Democratic Party
New York State Democratic Committee
The New York State Democratic Committee runs the local branch of the United States Democratic Party in the state of New York. Its headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and it has an office in Albany.-List of chairpersons:...
- Governor: Eliot SpitzerEliot SpitzerEliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
- Lieutenant Governor: David PatersonDavid PatersonDavid Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
- Comptroller: Alan HevesiAlan HevesiAlan G. Hevesi is a Democratic politician whoserved as a New York State Assemblyman from 1971 to 1993, as Comptroller of the City of New York from 1994 to 2001, and as State Comptroller for the State of New York from 2003 to 2006...
- Attorney General: Andrew CuomoAndrew CuomoAndrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
- U.S. Senate: Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonHillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
Republican Party
Ticket Designated by the 2006 Republican State ConventionNew York Republican State Committee
The New York Republican State Committee is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New York, headquartered in Albany.-History:...
- Governor: John FasoJohn FasoJohn Faso was the Republican nominee for Governor of New York in 2006, and was defeated by Democratic nominee Eliot Spitzer in the largest defeat for a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state's history. This followed his loss to Alan Hevesi four years earlier in his run for State Comptroller...
- Lieutenant Governor: C. Scott VanderhoefC. Scott VanderhoefC. Scott Vanderhoef is the County Executive of Rockland County, New York and was the Republican and Conservative Party nominee for Lieutenant Governor of New York in the 2006 statewide elections...
- Comptroller: Christopher Callaghan
- Attorney General: Jeanine PirroJeanine PirroJeanine Ferris Pirro is a former prosecutor, judge, and elected official from the state of New York, who is currently a legal analyst and television personality. A Republican from Westchester County, Pirro served as a county court judge before serving as the elected District Attorney of...
- U.S. Senate: John SpencerJohn Spencer (politician)John Spencer is the former Mayor of Yonkers, New York . He was the 2006 Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from New York and lost to incumbent Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton.-Early life, military service and education:...
Independence Party
Ticket Designated by the Independence PartyIndependence Party of New York
The Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994...
State Convention
- Governor: Eliot SpitzerEliot SpitzerEliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
- Lieutenant Governor: David PatersonDavid PatersonDavid Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
- Comptroller: Alan HevesiAlan HevesiAlan G. Hevesi is a Democratic politician whoserved as a New York State Assemblyman from 1971 to 1993, as Comptroller of the City of New York from 1994 to 2001, and as State Comptroller for the State of New York from 2003 to 2006...
- Attorney General: Jeanine PirroJeanine PirroJeanine Ferris Pirro is a former prosecutor, judge, and elected official from the state of New York, who is currently a legal analyst and television personality. A Republican from Westchester County, Pirro served as a county court judge before serving as the elected District Attorney of...
- U.S. Senate: Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonHillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
Conservative Party
Ticket Designated by the Conservative PartyConservative Party of New York
The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years....
Convention
- Governor: John FasoJohn FasoJohn Faso was the Republican nominee for Governor of New York in 2006, and was defeated by Democratic nominee Eliot Spitzer in the largest defeat for a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state's history. This followed his loss to Alan Hevesi four years earlier in his run for State Comptroller...
- Lieutenant Governor: C. Scott VanderhoefC. Scott VanderhoefC. Scott Vanderhoef is the County Executive of Rockland County, New York and was the Republican and Conservative Party nominee for Lieutenant Governor of New York in the 2006 statewide elections...
- Comptroller: Christopher Callaghan
- Attorney General: Jeanine PirroJeanine PirroJeanine Ferris Pirro is a former prosecutor, judge, and elected official from the state of New York, who is currently a legal analyst and television personality. A Republican from Westchester County, Pirro served as a county court judge before serving as the elected District Attorney of...
- U.S. Senate: John SpencerJohn Spencer (politician)John Spencer is the former Mayor of Yonkers, New York . He was the 2006 Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from New York and lost to incumbent Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton.-Early life, military service and education:...
Working Families Party
Ticket Designated by the Working Families PartyWorking Families Party
The Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
Convention
- Governor: Eliot SpitzerEliot SpitzerEliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
- Lieutenant Governor: David PatersonDavid PatersonDavid Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
- Comptroller: Alan HevesiAlan HevesiAlan G. Hevesi is a Democratic politician whoserved as a New York State Assemblyman from 1971 to 1993, as Comptroller of the City of New York from 1994 to 2001, and as State Comptroller for the State of New York from 2003 to 2006...
- Attorney General: Andrew CuomoAndrew CuomoAndrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
- U.S. Senate: Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonHillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
Green Party
Ticket designated by Green PartyGreen Party of New York
The Green Party of New York is a ballot-qualified political party in New York, which was founded in 1992. It is a part of the national Green Party movement...
- Governor: Malachy McCourtMalachy McCourtMalachy Gerard McCourt is an Irish-American actor, writer and politician. He was the 2006 Green Party candidate for governor in New York State, losing to the Democratic candidate Eliot Spitzer. He is the younger brother of Frank McCourt.-Personal life:Born in Brooklyn, New York, McCourt was raised...
- Lieutenant Governor: Alison Duncan
- Comptroller: Julia WillebrandJulia WillebrandJulia Willebrand is an environmental, peace and education activist and was the Green Party nominee for the office of Comptroller of the State of New York in the 2006 New York state elections.- Biography :...
- Attorney General: Rachel Treichler
- U.S. Senate: Howie HawkinsHowie HawkinsHowie Hawkins is an American politician and activist with the Green Party of the United States and Socialist Party USA. He co-founded the anti-nuclear Clamshell Alliance in 1976 and the Green Party in the United States in 1984. He was New York's Green Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in the...
Integrity Party
Ticket designated by the Integrity Party of New York State- Governor: Phoebe LegerePhoebe LegerePhoebe Hemenway Legere is a Multi-Format Artist: she is a composer, soprano, pianist and accordionist; a painter, a poet, and a film maker.Legere has recorded for Mercury Records in England and Epic, Island, Funtone, ESP Disk and Einstein records in the United States. Legere has released ten CDs...
- Lieutenant Governor: Nancy Beattie
Libertarian Party
Ticket designated by the Libertarian Party of New YorkLibertarian Party of New York
The Libertarian Party of New York is a political party in the United States active in the state of New York. It is the recognized affiliate of the national Libertarian Party....
- Governor: John Clifton
- Lieutenant Governor: Donald Silberger
- Comptroller: John Cain
- Attorney General: Chris Garvey
- U.S. Senate: Jeff RussellJeff RussellJeffrey Lee Russell is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played 14 years from 1983 to 1996. Russell played for the Cincinnati Reds of the National League and the Texas Rangers, Oakland A's, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians, all of the American League...
Right to Life Party
Ticket designated by the New York State Right to Life PartyNew York State Right to Life Party
The New York State Right to Life Party was founded to oppose the legalization of abortion in New York in 1970. The party first made the state ballot in the 1978 gubernatorial election, where its candidate Mary Jane Tobin won 130,000 votes...
- Governor: Jennifer Liese
- Lieutenant Governor: Wendy Holibaugh
- Comptroller: Michael Cronmiller
- Attorney General: William Conroy
- U.S. Senate: John SpencerJohn Spencer (politician)John Spencer is the former Mayor of Yonkers, New York . He was the 2006 Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from New York and lost to incumbent Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton.-Early life, military service and education:...
See also
- United States Senate election in New York, 2006
- New York attorney general election, 2006New York attorney general election, 2006The New York attorney general election, 2006 took place on November 7, 2006. Andrew Cuomo was elected to replace Eliot Spitzer as the Attorney General of New York.-Democratic Party:*Andrew M...
- New York Comptroller election, 2006New York Comptroller election, 2006The 2006 New York Comptroller Election took place on November 7, 2006 with the incumbent, Alan Hevesi winning against Republican challenger Chris Callaghan. Hevesi was plagued by scandals during the campaign involving misuse of state funds...
- Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2006Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2006The Connecticut gubernatorial election of 2006 occurred on November 7, 2006. The incumbent, M. Jodi Rell, became Governor when John G. Rowland resigned in 2004...
- Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2006Massachusetts gubernatorial election, 2006The Massachusetts gubernatorial election of 2006 was held on November 7, 2006. Former US Assistant Attorney General Deval Patrick was elected to a four-year term, from January 4, 2007 until January 6, 2011. In his first elected office, Patrick is the second African-American governor in the United...
- New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2005New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2005The New Jersey gubernatorial election of 2005 was a race for the Governor of New Jersey. It was held on November 8, 2005. Incumbent Democratic Governor Richard Codey, who replaced Governor Jim McGreevey in 2004 after his resignation, did not run for election for a full term of office.The primary...
- Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 2006Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 2006The Pennsylvania gubernatorial election of 2006 was held on November 7, 2006, and included the races for the Governor of Pennsylvania and Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania.Incumbent Governor Ed Rendell, a Democrat, ran for re-election...
- United States gubernatorial elections, 2006United States gubernatorial elections, 2006The U.S. 2006 gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 2006 in 36 states, with 22 of the seats held by Republicans and 14 by Democrats....
External links
- Online Guide to New York Politics, politics1.com