ALBANY—Rick Lazio will speak at the annual dinner of the Monroe County Conservative Party, with Chairman Thomas Cook billing the former congressman as "the next governor."
"Mr. Lazio, from our point of view, is much more preferable than Mr. Giuliani," Cook just told me by phone. "He's for lower taxes, less government, personal responsibility, individual initiative, public safety. I believe he's pro-choice, but there's no 100 percent Conservative, especially in New York. The theme is that Rick Lazio is conservative enough."
The dinner, held in Rochester on May 15, usually draws around 500 people. Cook said that will include Republican leaders from surrounding counties and elected officials such as Maggie Brooks, the Monroe County Executive who is talked about as a potential lieutenant governor, and Assemblyman Bill Reilich. Past speakers have included Al D'Amato and Rush Limbaugh.
Lazio served several terms in Congress, and ran unsuccessfully in 2000 against Hillary Clinton in a bid for the U.S. Senate.
The theory goes that Conservatives, who are not enamored with Giuliani, are trying to get behind Lazio early enough to give him momentum in a bid for the Republican line. I asked Cook about this.
"I don't know what results from this, but obviously we Conservatives are kind of concerned with the direction of the state under Governor Paterson," he said. "So whatever comes of it comes of it."
He is hoping the stars will align for Lazio. So far, he noted, David Paterson is living up to his end of the bargain.
Mike Long, the statewide Conservative chairman, said that Lazio has been working to raise his profile. Part of that was a speech to Conservatives at their political action conference earlier this year.
"He's speaking at a number of dinners. I know he's making the circuit, and he's beginning to lay the groundwork," Long said. "I certainly supported him before; I'm open to supporting him in the future, but it's a little early for me as state chairman to pull the trigger on him yet."
I asked about Giuliani, and forcing the Republicans’ hand.
"We'll cross that bridge if we get to it," Long said. "We've had differences in the past, but my door is not locked to him."
No Republican has won statewide elected office without the cross-endorsement of the Conservative Party since 1974.
Kevin Fullington, an adviser to Lazio, said he is "very serious" about the possibility of running for governor, but "hasn't made his final decision yet."
"He has been traveling all around this stat doing all the hard work you have to do to lay the groundwork for a race like this," Fullington said. "This is another step toward that."
