County Executive Rob Astorino Formally Announces Candidacy for Governor
After weeks of speculation, Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino, a Republican, announced his candidacy for New York State Governor Wednesday via an eight-minute video on his website and on Twitter, saying: “I’m in.”
In the video, Astorino noted that 400,000 New Yorkers had left the state. “I’m tired of the fairy tale that everything is just great, when it is just the opposite,” he said. Astorino cites his two wins in the Westchester County Executive race, no tax increases in the county since his election, and the county’s high credit rating as reasons why he is the right man to take on the incumbent in Albany.
There are four things that New York leads in, he continued: New York is Number 1 in highest taxes, Number 1 for the worst business climate, Number 1 in most corruption, and Number 2 for the highest electric rates, anywhere.
With a pro business and pro economic development platform, Astorino further criticized incumbent governor Andrew Cuomo for “demonizing gun owners” and said he will get rid of “Cuomo’s Common Core” at both the state and local levels. Astorino said he is a staunch supporter of charter schools.
Despite the build up to the Astorino announcement, news reports indicate Astorino’s bid for election may force a Republican primary.
Dispelling rumors that Donald Trump might set aside his gubernatorial aspirations to let Astorino take on the contest, a CBS news report Wednesday, quoted Michael Cohen, Senior Counsel for Trump as saying the majority of GOP leaders are committed to a Trump candidacy and that they feel Trump is the only one who could beat Cuomo.
Astorino will begin a statewide campaign tour this week.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.