SARANAC LAKE—One of the most shocking results last night was Tom Suozzi’s marginal victory (or loss) to Ed Mangano in Nassau County and the Republican sweep of the legislature there, which removes the wind from the sails of a potential statewide run for Suozzi.
“Given his lackluster race for governor last time and his very tight race for re-election, I suspect people aren’t going to see him as a major league contender for statewide office,” Joseph Mercurio, a political consultant and adjunct professor, told me. This was a “major setback,” he said.
A Democratic operative watching the race was more blunt: “This completely changes the race for the AG’s race next year. Even if he hangs on, he’s a dead man walking.”
Suozzi has eyed a statewide run, and the expectation was he would run for Andrew Cuomo’s office when Cuomo runs for governor. The expectation was he would win a handy re-election; his weakened mandate will embolden people like State Senators Eric Schneiderman and Jeff Klein, Assemblymembers Michael Gianaris and Richard Brodsky and Eric Dinallo, all of whom are pondering at a run for the office.
Additionally, this result as well as the loss of Andy Spano in Westchester County doesn’t bode well for David Paterson. Suozzi in particular has worked with Paterson on the issue of property tax relief, and their fathers are law partners.
“People were saying this was a referendum on Barack Obama, but in the New York City suburbs, this is a referendum on David Paterson and his policies over the last year and the confidence he inspires,” the Democratic operative said.
