Text size: increase text sizedecrease text size

Weld urged to exit GOP race

BY ERROL A. COCKFIELD JR. | Newsday Albany Bureau Chief
June 6, 2006

ALBANY - Pressure mounted yesterday on William Weld to drop his bid to become governor as several high-ranking Republican officials told him the party should stand behind party designee John Faso.

In perhaps the most damaging blow to Weld yet, state GOP chairman Stephen Minarik III said yesterday that the former Massachusetts governor should abandon his bid for the sake of unity.

Minarik had backed Weld, but after Faso won an upset victory at the party convention last week, Minarik concluded that a primary would hurt the party's chances. "If we're unified we have an opportunity," Minarik said.

The decision by Minarik, who was installed by Gov. George Pataki, suggested that the governor shares a similar position, but during a news conference yesterday Pataki was noncommittal. "Let's see what happens over the course of the next few days," he said.

After word came of Minarik's defection, Weld held a meeting yesterday with his top advisers, telling them he would sleep on the matter and then make a decision.

"He's 50-50 right now," said one adviser who did not want to be identified. "Bill is going to give it the consideration that you give a friend."

Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno has also endorsed Faso, a former Assembly minority leader. "Right now it would seem more operative to unify behind a candidate ... and coalesce our resources and move forward," he said yesterday.

Related topic galleries: Government, Republican Party, John J Faso, Executive Branch, Massachusetts, Joseph Bruno, Regional Authority

Get breaking news | Most popular stories | Dining and Travel deals all via e-mail!

Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.

Special Sections

Photos & Entertainment

Long Island Data

Databases
 DJIANASDAQSPX
Find Stock Quotes

Newsday.com to go

Now you can add Newsday.com headlines to your blog or favorite social networking sites:
Facebook
MySpace
iGoogle
 Typepad
Blogger
Twitter
Join Newsday's social media network

New York City