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Astorino Rules Out Run For Governor Next Fall After Loss To Latimer

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, the two-term Republican upset Tuesday by State Sen. George Latimer, has decided against running for New York governor next fall, according to his campaign aides.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino of Mount Pleasant, who lost a bid for a third four-year-term to Democrat George Latimer of Rye on Tuesday, has decided not to run for governor next fall.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino of Mount Pleasant, who lost a bid for a third four-year-term to Democrat George Latimer of Rye on Tuesday, has decided not to run for governor next fall.

Photo Credit: Contributed
State Sen. George Latimer thanked supporters on Tuesday during an election celebration at Rosemary & Vine restaurant in Rye. The Democrat upset Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, a Republican who said he will not run for governor next fall.

State Sen. George Latimer thanked supporters on Tuesday during an election celebration at Rosemary & Vine restaurant in Rye. The Democrat upset Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, a Republican who said he will not run for governor next fall.

Photo Credit: Jon Craig

Poll
How much of a factor do you think President Donald Trump played in Democratic challenger George Latimer's win over Republican Rob Astorino in the Westchester County Executive race?
Final Results Voting Closed

How much of a factor do you think President Donald Trump played in Democratic challenger George Latimer's win over Republican Rob Astorino in the Westchester County Executive race?

  • Huge factor
    58%
  • Somewhat of a factor
    24%
  • None at all
    18%

Astorino was trounced by Latimer, a Rye Democrat, by a margin of 57 to 43 percent on Tuesday. Political observers blamed a so-called "Trump effect," or backlash from opponents of Republican President Donald J. Trump, as well as union opposition to statewide propositions, as factors in Astorino's defeat.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New Castle, who narrowly fended off Astorino's first bid for governor in 2014, told the New York Post after Cuomo voted in Mount Kisco on Tuesday: “This is bigger than just the county executive’s race. . . .Rob Astorino is a fully financed subsidiary of Donald Trump.”

Tuesday's loss ended any consideration by Astorino to launch another bid for New York's top elective job, campaign spokeswoman Jessica Proud told the USA Today Network's Albany Bureau.

Gov. Cuomo, a Democrat from New Castle, has political aspirations of his own, of course. Many see him as a contender to bump off Trump in 2020. But for now, he appears happy to bash Astorino:

In this interview with Spectrum News' "State of Politics," Cuomo said:

“If he wants to run, God bless him, whoever wants to run, they can run,” Cuomo said. “I think Rob Astorino doesn’t understand what New Yorkers believe. I think his positions as an extreme conservative Republican are repugnant to the state of New York.”

Cuomo lamented the state of the Republican Party in the Spectrum News piece, saying the party has been taken over by far-right politicians.

“There are no more Rockefeller Republicans. This is a party that’s been taken over by the extreme conservatives,” Cuomo told Spectrum News. “They’re against a woman’s right to choose, that doesn’t sell in New York. In the midst of all of this violence, they want to roll back the SAFE act that I passed, the smartest gun safety legislation in the nation, and they want to roll it back.”

More details on Astorino's defeat to Latimer can be found here, as reported by Daily Voice.

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