ALBANY–So what’s a Rudy Drafter to do now?
“I’ve heard from one of his former commissioners when he was in City Hall that, in fact, Rudy has decided not to run for governor,” said Craig Eaton, the Brooklyn Republican chairman. “I’m disappointed, because I was one of the first people to start that draft Rudy campaign. But there are other qualified candidates out there.”
“I’m disappointed and sorry to hear that he’s not going to be running, but I guarantee that we will have a competitive race,” he said. Rick Lazio is currently the only declared Republican candidate for governor; Erie County Executive Chris Collins is contemplating a run, and his spokesman Grant Loomis said that “when we hear that officially from him then the county executive will take a step back and evaluate a possible run based on what is best for Erie County and the state of New York.”
Here’s the party line from Maria Comella, Giuliani’s spokeswoman: “Rudy has a history of making up his own mind and has no problem speaking it. When Mayor Giuliani makes a decision about serving in public office, he will inform New Yorkers on his own.”
Republican sources are noting that no one close to the mayor is tamping down the speculation he run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Kirsten Gillibrand, especially under the back drop of a decision to try 9/11 terrorists in lower Manhattan. Several Republicans aligned with Giuliani said they expect a public announcement sometime after Thanksgiving.
