Jillian Rayfield November 2, 2010, 9:06 PM

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo (D) has won the race for New York Governor over Carl Paladino (R).

With 0% of precincts reporting, CNN projects that Cuomo is the winner.

Though the Tea Party-backed Paladino had some early momentum that helped him beat Rick Lazio in the September 14 Republican primary, his campaign has since been plagued by controversy and concerns about his temperament.

Paladino, a Buffalo businessman, first made a name for himself when he forwarded several racist and obscene emails. He has since suggested that New York should house welfare recipients in prison, and was one of the louder voices against the Cordoba House Islamic Center near Ground Zero.

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But while that didn’t seem to hurt him in the primary, Paladino had a much tougher time against Cuomo, whose massive campaign war chest gave him an easy time of it amid Paladino’s gaffes.

Like when Paladino told New York Post state editor Fred Dicker ‘I’ll take you out, buddy!’ after Paladino accused Dicker of sending photographers after his out-of-wedlock daughter. Then there was the time when Paladino accused Cuomo of having had an affair, backtracked on his accusation, then backtracked on his backtrack.

And, of course, there were Paladino’s comment that he doesn’t want children “to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option. It isn’t.”

All in all, for all the attention he got, by the time the first and only debate took place, a much tamer Paladino took the stage, and he virtually went unnoticed next to the colorful third party candidates that took the stage with him.

Since then, not much has been heard from Paladino, which made Cuomo’s win all but a sure thing.

2010 elections, Andrew Cuomo, Carl Paladino, NY-GOV