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Peter King downplays talk of run for governor

BY RICK BRAND | rick.brand@newsday.com

April 2, 2008

Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) tried to downplay comments that he is considering a run for governor, saying in an interview yesterday that he has "no burning desire" to lead the Empire State.

"This is not the start of a campaign; I'm not sending out mailings or speaking upstate," said King, after an article in The New York Times indicated he is eyeing a run for state governor. "I am totally focused on winning my congressional race."

The frequently outspoken King said that in recent months 15 to 20 people have raised the idea with him, but he is not actively soliciting support behind the scenes.

King said a reporter must have heard of those informal talks and asked him about it. But, he added, "It's not high on my radar screen at this point."

King said he had not even talked about the idea with his hometown Nassau GOP chairman Joseph Mondello, who is also state GOP chairman, until yesterday morning after the article had appeared.

"I have no great desire to be governor," he said, "But I love being in Congress."

Mondello said he was "very surprised" by King's comments, but added he called King to encourage his interest in the statewide 2010 race.

"It's an excellent idea that he might want it and be willing to get involved," said Mondello.

Some leading Democrats also said that King would have to be considered a serious contender. "He's got a lot of appeal with suburbanites; even people who disagree with him see him as a maverick like John McCain," said Patrick Halpin, Suffolk's former Democratic county executive.

However, Halpin said that King would be in line behind both New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his predecessor, Rudy Giuliani. "There are five billion reasons Bloomberg would be ahead on line and Rudy has enormous public recognition," Halpin said, referring to Bloomberg's fortune. "But once you get beyond those two, Peter King becomes a logical choice."

King ran statewide once before, losing to Democrat Robert Abrams for attorney general in 1986. The former Nassau comptroller then ran for and won his congressional seat in 1992.

King also said that there are downsides to a state candidacy, including his personal friendship with current Gov. David A. Paterson and the Democrats' 2-million edge in voter registration. He also said if he ran and lost for governor, he would be out of Congress as the races occur in the same year.

King also discounted any impact of talking about higher office prior his own re-election, saying he would serve his full term and would never be an absentee congressman.