Cuomo On Donovan: He’s OK (Updated)



Governor Andrew Cuomo had kind words for the expected Republican candidate in the 11th Congressional District special election.  That election will select a successor to Michael Grimm, who resigned on January 5th after pleading guilty to a federal crime.  Republican county leaders in Brooklyn and Staten Island, who select their party’s candidate in this special election, have settled on Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan.

I asked Cuomo about his relationship with Donovan, whose tenure as DA overlapped with Cuomo’s term as attorney general, and what he thinks of Donovan as a candidate.  Cuomo spoke highly of Donovan, adding that “I don’t know that I’ll be taking a position in the race.”  Cuomo’s endorsement could be influential as he won this district with 60,973 votes in November over Republican Rob Astorino’s 44,385, and an absence of Cuomo support for the Democratic candidate would be a victory for the Republican candidate.  Donovan’s professional biography includes running in 2010 as the Republican candidate for New York State Attorney General, hoping to succeed Cuomo.  Donovan lost to Democrat Eric Schneiderman.

Cuomo issued a proclamation this morning setting this special election for May 5th.

Cuomo’s full Q&A with the press is here.