ALBANY — The next election is three years away, but already a bevy of Democrats are being discussed inside political circles as potential candidates should Gov. Cuomo not seek a third term —or even if he does.
Chief among them is state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who those close to him acknowledge is giving serious consideration to running for governor in 2018.
It’s not clear whether Schneiderman would challenge Cuomo in the primary election, but sources say the attorney general is starting to lay the groundwork to make sure he’s in position should the governor decide to call it quits after two terms.
“If the governor doesn’t run, he’d want to do it,” said one source who speaks regularly to the Schneiderman camp. “It’s his dream, but at this point they really want to know what’s going to happen with Cuomo.”
Another intriguing name that has been bandied about within Democratic circles in recent weeks is U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, whose term is up at the end of 2018.
Gillibrand, a Hillary Clinton supporter believed to have future presidential aspirations of her own, could benefit from the executive experience of being governor, said several Democrats.
But while five different Democrats separately raised her name, with several saying they’ve heard she’s privately considering it, a Gillibrand spokesman called such talk “categorically false.”
Mayor de Blasio, who has usurped Schneiderman as the darling of the state’s liberal left, has also been mentioned, though a number of Democrats question whether his brand could play statewide.
De Blasio backers say he’s focused on spreading the liberal word for the coming presidential election and then his own 2017 reelection campaign in the city.
Other lesser-known names statewide include new Lt. Gov. Kathleen Hochul, who some say is a force but doesn’t have a broad enough fund-raising base and is considered too conservative to win a Democratic primary; Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner; and Zephyr Teachout, the Fordham law professor who gave Cuomo a surprisingly credible challenge in last year’s Democratic primary.
If anyone does make a move, it may have to be through a primary because those close to Cuomo insist the governor plans to run for a third term to see through long-term projects like the LaGuardia Airport redevelopment and upstate revitalization.
“There’s no question in my mind he’s going to run again,” said Michael Del Guidice, who has been close to Cuomo since serving as a top aide to his father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo. “He loves government and he loves being governor. And more importantly, he likes the idea of three terms because he wants to do it and his father did it.”
———-
Even as his members are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for now, state Senate Republican Majority Leader Dean Skelos’ hold on power may not last much longer, insiders say.
Several GOP senators say Skelos, who along with his son is under investigation by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, could remain leader in the short term, even if he is indicted. Many see Bharara as increasingly overzealous and much will depend on how strong or weak Skelos’ members believe the case is against him, several said.
But if Skelos is indicted, or still under investigation in coming months, many expect the Nassau County Republican would likely follow the precedent of former Senate GOP Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and step down from his leadership post after the legislative session ends in June. That way, he’d avoid becoming a major political liability heading into next year’s crucial elections, which will determine which party controls the chamber.
———-
Former Albany Mayor Gerald Jennings, who has close ties to Gov. Cuomo, has been hired as a “consultant” for one of the groups considering seeking a license to manufacture and dispense medical marijuana in New York.
Jennings insists that despite his friendship with Cuomo, he will not do any lobbying but will instead provide advice to the group, which he would not name.
