Giuliani Said to Consider Run For Gillibrands U.s. Senate Seat
Giuliani, 63, doesnt intend to run for governor of New York in the 2010 campaign, the two people said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The New York Daily News reported yesterday that Giuliani would seek the Senate seat in next years election. A spokeswoman for Giuliani, Maria Comella, said he hasnt decided on his political future.
“Rudy has a history of making up his own mind and has no problem speaking it,” Comella said in an e-mailed statement. “When Mayor Giuliani makes a decision about serving in public office, he will inform New Yorkers on his own.”
Kenneth Sherrill, a political science professor at Hunter College in Manhattan, questioned whether Giuliani would enter the Senate race.
“I dont think hes made up to be a legislator; hes more of a boss,” Sherrill said. “I assume hes not running for governor because he doesnt think he can win.”
Lee Miringoff, poll director at Poughkeepsie, New York- based Marist College, said “if Giuliani were to capture the U.S. Senate seat from heavily Democratic New York state, it would return him to the national spotlight big time.”
Poll Results
Giuliani led Gillibrand 49 percent to 43 percent in a Nov. 8-12 poll of 800 registered voters conducted by Loudonville, New York-based Siena College. He led Gillibrand 54 percent to 40 percent among 805 registered voters polled by Marist College on Nov. 12, 16 and 17. Both polls had margins of error of plus-or- minus 3.5 percentage points.
Democratic Governor David Paterson, 55, named Gillibrand, 43, in January to the Senate seat vacated by Democrat Hillary Clinton, who became U.S. secretary of state in the Obama administration. Giuliani challenged Clinton for the Senate seat in 2000 before withdrawing from the race after announcing he had prostate cancer. The disease has since been successfully treated.
“It wouldnt be appropriate to comment on any unannounced candidates on our side,” said Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, when asked for comment yesterday about a Giuliani Senate candidacy.
“But, suffice to say, any credible Republican in New York has the ability to run a competitive race against this deeply flawed Democrat candidate,” said Walsh, referring to Gillibrand.
The three Washington-based publications that rate congressional races, Congressional Quarterly, the Cook Political Report and the Rothenberg Political Report, currently view Gillibrand as likely to win election to a full six-year term next year.
Gillibrand had $4.2 million in her campaign bank account as of Sept. 30, Federal Election Commission records show.
Republican political consultant Eddie Mahe said Giulianis national fundraising base from his presidential campaign and his stature as mayor of New York City, especially after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, would make him a formidable challenger. “It very definitely puts the seat in play” if Giuliani was Gillibrands Republican opponent, Mahe said.
Governors Race
In the battle for New Yorks governorship, the Siena poll earlier this month showed Paterson would lose a Democratic primary race to state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, 75 percent to 16 percent.
Giuliani doesnt want to risk losing a governors race to Cuomo, 51, said Douglas Muzzio, a professor of urban politics at Baruch College, a division of City University of New York.
“If he has the choice of running for governor against Andrew Cuomo or for the U.S. Senate against Kirsten Gillibrand, who would he rather run against? Gillibrand, because Andrew Cuomo would beat him up,” Muzzio said.