Carl Paladino

Siena Poll: 61% Say Paladino A 'Loose Cannon' Without Temperament To Be Governor

Jillian Rayfield | October 5, 2010, 11:31AM

New York gubernatorial candidates Andrew Cuomo (D) and Carl Paladino (R)

A new Siena poll of likely voters has found Democrat Andrew Cuomo leading Republican Carl Paladino 56%-32% in the race for New York governor.

In addition, the poll finds that 61% agree with the statement "Carl Paladino is a loose cannon, who doesn't have the temperament to be governor," compared to 34% who disagree.

The previous Siena poll, from Sept. 21, showed Cuomo ahead of Paladino and Rick Lazio (who has since dropped out) 57%-24%-8%.

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NY-GOV

Lazio Withdraws From NY-GOV Race, Will Reportedly Get Judgeship Nomination

Jillian Rayfield | September 27, 2010, 12:28PM

NY gov. candidate Rick Lazio (R)

Rick Lazio announced that he is dropping out of the race for New York governor today, ending speculation that he might run on the Conservative Party line.

Lazio, who will reportedly be nominated for a judgeship in the Bronx tonight, said he is dropping out in a press conference today. In his remarks, he called his victorious primary opponent Carl Paladino "flawed," City Hall News reports.

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Carl Paladino

Paladino: My Win Shows 'New Yorkers Are Mad As Hell And We're Not Going To Take It Anymore' (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | September 15, 2010, 9:45AM

Carl Paladino (R), candidate for Governor in New York

Carl Paladino won the Republican gubernatorial primary last night in New York, and his victory speech was filled with the same populist anger that helped him beat one-time frontrunner Rick Lazio. "If we've learned anything tonight," Paladino said, "it's that New Yorkers are as mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore!"

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Carl Paladino

Carl Paladino Wins GOP Primary For New York Governor

Jillian Rayfield | September 14, 2010, 11:06PM

Carl Paladino (R), candidate for governor in New York

Carl Paladino has won the Republican nomination for New York governor against former Rep. Rick Lazio, the Associated Press projects.

With 42% of precincts reporting, Paladino leads Lazio 67%-33%.

Paladino has been gaining momentum in the polls leading up to the primary, and becomes the latest Tea Party-backed candidate to upset a more establishment Republican pick. He will go on to face Democratic nominee Attorney General Andrew Cuomo in the general election. Cuomo is heavily favored.

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2010 elections

Tonight's Primaries: The Last Big Election Night Before November

Eric Kleefeld | September 14, 2010, 5:58PM

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Christine O'Donnell

Tonight marks the last major night of the 2010 primary season. And what a wild and wacky season it's been -- and could still prove to be tonight.

This is the last multi-state primary night this year. After tonight, the only one primary left is Hawaii's this Saturday.

So let's take a look at some of tonight's races. There are Tea Party insurgents against establishment GOP moderates, Dems fighting it out to keep their jobs, and a whole lot of fun throughout.

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Carl Paladino

Siena Poll: Lazio And Paladino In Dead Heat In NY-GOV Primary

Jillian Rayfield | September 13, 2010, 11:00AM

Carl Paladino and Rick Lazio

New York gubernatorial candidates Rick Lazio and Carl Paladino are neck-and-neck going into the Republican primary tomorrow, according to the latest Siena poll.

The poll finds Lazio ahead of Paladino 43%-42%. That's a big swing from the last Siena poll, in mid-August, when Lazio led 43%-30%. The TPM Poll Average finds Lazio ahead 45.2%-40.1%.

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Carl Paladino

Paladino Reports Negative Campaign Cash In NY-GOV

Jillian Rayfield | September 7, 2010, 11:06AM

Carl Paladino and Rick Lazio

New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino was recently down to negative $567.50 in campaign funds, according to his latest filing through August 30. Since the filing, Paladino, who has pledged to donate up to $10 million of his own money to his campaign, has given a cash infusion of about $500,000.

Paladino's primary opponent Rick Lazio has reported about $500,000 cash on hand, leaving the two Republicans on roughly equal footing heading into the September 14 primary.

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Carl Paladino

Could Carl Paladino Snatch The NY-GOV Primary From Mosque-Hating Rick Lazio's Hands?

Jillian Rayfield | September 3, 2010, 8:32AM

Carl Paladino and Rick Lazio

Here's how it was supposed to go: Republican Rick Lazio wins the gubernatorial nod at New York's state party convention and rides it all the way to a general election trouncing at the hands of Democrat Andrew Cuomo.

Carl Paladino had other plans. The Tea Party-lovin', racist email-sending, welfare-recipients-to-prisons-proposing millionaire who collected enough signatures to force a primary with Lazio September 14, could just snatch the party nomination out of Lazio's mosque-hating grasp.

A Qunnipiac poll this week shows Paladino trailing by 12 points. But Lazio's lead of 47-35 has shrunk since the last Quinnipiac poll, at the end of July, when Lazio led 39-23. A Siena poll from mid-August also shows Lazio's lead shrinking, from 40-20 in Siena's mid-July poll to 43-30 by August.

The TPM Poll Average finds Lazio leading Paladino 46.3%-34.8%. Check out the trend lines. Lazio still has a double-digit lead, of course, but Paladino has been closing the gap.

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Cordoba House

Chris Matthews Calls Out Rick Lazio For Exploiting Cordoba House For Campaign (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | August 24, 2010, 6:56PM

New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio has been focusing a lot of his campaign's attention on opposing the proposed Cordoba House Islamic center near Ground Zero, and today on Hardball, Chris Matthews took him to task for playing politics with the controversy. Matthews asked Lazio how he responds to those who say the focus "has a lot to do with the fact that you're down 30 points in what looks to be your upcoming general election fight with Andrew Cuomo for governor."

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Carl Paladino

Lazio Skipping Debate With Paladino To Go To Tea Party Forum

Jillian Rayfield | August 24, 2010, 1:54PM

Carl Paladino and Rick Lazio

Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino has been taunting his primary opponent Rick Lazio over the past week, calling him out for not agreeing to a debate August 30, and even going so far as to threaten to bring a man dressed as a chicken to debate him if Lazio won't accept the challenge.

Well, it seems the chickens are coming home to roost, because Lazio is now scheduled to attend a candidate forum hosted by TeaParty365 in Manhattan -- while Paladino will be upstate for the debate in Syracuse.

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Rick Lazio

NYC Firefighters, Police Sergeants Protest Lazio's Use Of 9/11 Imagery (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | August 20, 2010, 12:07PM

NY gov. candidate Rick Lazio (R)

New York gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio (R) is getting a lot of flack for his video that uses 9/11 footage to oppose the proposed Cordoba House Islamic center a few blocks from Ground Zero.

Most recently, the New York City firefighters union sent Lazio a letter expressing "surprise and disappointment" that Lazio would use the imagery for an attack ad against Democrat Andrew Cuomo, and urging him to remove the video.

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NY-GOV

New Lazio Video Uses 9/11 Footage, New Yorker Interviews To Oppose Cordoba House (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | August 18, 2010, 1:07PM

NY gov. candidate Rick Lazio (R)

Republican candidate for New York governor Rick Lazio has released a new web video that features New Yorkers expressing opposition for the proposed Cordoba House Islamic center two blocks from the site of Ground Zero, in a series of man-on-the-street interviews.

The interviews are accompanied by some somber, dirge-like music, and follow video footage of people running after the World Trade Center towers collapsed on September 11, 2001.

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Charlie Rangel

Gillibrand And Cuomo Take Heat For Attending Rangel B-Day Party (VIDEOS)

Jillian Rayfield | August 13, 2010, 11:57AM

NY Atty. Gen. Andrew Cuomo (D) and NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D)

New York Democrats are done celebrating Charlie Rangel's 80th birthday party, but apparently the hangover is going to last a little bit longer...

In new web videos, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo are hit by their Republican opponents for their ties to the Harlem Congressman, who is under investigation for ethics violations.

[TPM SLIDESHOW: Not A Care In The World? Charlie Rangel's Birthday Celebration]

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Carl Paladino

It's All About Who Hates The 'Ground Zero Mosque' More In Republicans' NY-GOV Race (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | August 9, 2010, 11:00AM

NY Gov. GOP primary candidates Rick Lazio and Carl Paladino, a mosque inset.

They say all politics is local, and it seems that in the race for the Republican nomination for New York governor, candidates Carl Paladino and Rick Lazio are taking that quite literally. As the September 14 primary approaches, Paladino and Lazio are devoting a whole lot of their attention to opposing the Cordoba House Muslim community center, which was cleared for construction a few blocks from Ground Zero last week.

So if this is a central issue of the Republican primary, the question then becomes: Who hates the "Ground Zero mosque" more? Let's look at the evidence...

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Andrew Cuomo

Lazio To Cuomo: I Challenge Thee To A Mosque-Only Debate

Jillian Rayfield | July 28, 2010, 3:23PM

New York Attorney General and Gov. candidate Andrew Cuomo (D) and NY Gov. candidate Rick Lazio (R)

Rick Lazio, the Republican frontrunner in the primary for New York governor, has thrown down the gauntlet and challenged Democratic nominee and state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to a debate...a debate that focuses solely on the controversial plans to build a Muslim community center near Ground Zero.

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NY-GOV

Cuomo Massively Outraising GOP Competitors In Race For NY-GOV

Jillian Rayfield | July 20, 2010, 11:04AM

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo

When it comes to fundraising, New York Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Cuomo doesn't have much to fear from the Republican party-backed Rick Lazio. And tea-party favorite Carl Paladino? He's something of a wild card.

In the first six months of the year, state Attorney General Cuomo raised $9.2 million, and has a whopping $23.6 million in cash on hand. Lazio managed just $1.6 million in fundraising, and has less than $700,000 in the bank.

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