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Spitzer gets Democratic nod for governor

In his acceptance speech, he takes on GOP leadership, says campaign will focus on taxes, school funding

BY ERROL A. COCKFIELD JR. | Newsday Albany Bureau Chief

May 31, 2006

New York state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is seen after a fundraiser at the Glen Oaks Country Club in Old Westbury. (Newsday / Karen Wiles Stabile / February 15, 2006)

BUFFALO - Riding an unprecedented surge of confidence within their ranks, Democrats yesterday chose state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer as their candidate for governor, tapping the nationally known prosecutor to help them retake control of the state after a dozen years in the GOP's shadow.

After a voice vote, Spitzer delivered an acceptance speech in which he vowed to challenge the status quo in the state Capitol, comparing some of Albany's dysfunctions to the abuses he confronted on Wall Street.

The nomination of Spitzer and his running mate, Senate Minority Leader David Paterson (D-Manhattan), marked another stage in what Democrats believe will be a transformative election year with early polls indicating the party will easily defeat Republican contenders at the state level.

Spitzer offered a potent indictment of Albany's leadership, charging that the state's caretakers have "stood remarkably still" as the nation has been reshaped by the global marketplace.

The attorney general said his campaign would focus on reducing property taxes, providing health care for the uninsured and addressing education funding inequities. "The crowd in charge in Albany is out of touch, out of ideas, and come January 1, they'll be out of time," he said.

Spitzer's critique of Albany -- which brought a strong rebuke -- appeared to not only target Republican Gov. George Pataki, but also take aim at the leaders of the Assembly and the State Senate. But Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), a Spitzer supporter, said, "I think he was talking clearly about the second floor," referring to the location of Pataki's offices in the state Capitol.

David Catalfamo, Pataki's communications director, said Spitzer was seeking to separate himself from the Albany political climate even though the attorney general has had an office in the state Capitol for two terms.

In a hall filled with an estimated 1,000 people, including Spitzer's family, the attorney general's words prompted bursts of applause as Democrats expressed a palpable sense that they were on the cusp of change.

The solidarity stood in contrast to the party's convention four years ago when Andrew Cuomo skipped the gathering after it became clear that he could not garner enough delegate support to challenge the establishment candidate, state Comptroller H. Carl McCall.

"This is euphoric," said Assemb. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria). "We're on our way to .victory."

With Democrats holding a 5 to 3 enrollment edge over Republicans in the state, Kenneth Sherrill, a political science professor at Hunter College, said Democratic frustration over party's losses had led to a new coalition.

"It's a strong unified majority, which is almost unheard of among Democrats in this state," Sherrill said. "We'll see if they can govern with the same kind of unity."

But the convention did not move forward yesterday without some contentiousness. In a square a few blocks away, Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi boycotted the convention by holding a rally.

"Down the street they're holding the clubhouse convention," the gubernatorial hopeful said. "And my opponent Eliot Spitzer is making it very clear what kind of governor he wants to be ... He's getting nominated at a convention where they wouldn't even let me speak."

In the only real Democratic contest in the jockeying for statewide offices, Cuomo emerged with the most support in the attorney general's race, claiming 66.6 percent of the delegate vote and guaranteeing him a place on the ballot.

Today the party was expected to nominate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Comptroller Alan Hevesi for second terms, while in Nassau, the Republicans will begin their convention at Hofstra University.

After the Clinton-Spitzer buzz wears off, Democrats will turn to some contentious -- and possibly more exciting -- races, those for local seats. One is that of state Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport), who faces a challenge from Brooke Ellison, an advocate for the disabled.

Picking up seats is a major part of the party's plan for change. Paterson said that after years of GOP rule he wants to give New Yorkers a sense of hope about their state government. "I want to replace New York's social ladder with a roundtable," Paterson said. "And at that roundtable we will sit together instead of standing on top of each other."

Staff writers Michael Rothfeld and Lauren Weber contributed to this story.