Upstate GOP congressman talks of taking on Cuomo

Republican Rep. Chris Gibson said Wednesday that he’s considering a run for governor in 2018, even if Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo seeks a third term.

In an interview with public radio’s “Capitol Pressroom,” Gibson (R-Kinderhook) said any campaign for governor he would mount would focus on combating Albany’s corruption with term limits, campaign finance reform and independent redistricting.

“It would help restore faith in clean government,” Gibson told host Susan Arbetter.

He said the state’s economy and levels of corruption are unacceptable and are prompting him to consider a run for governor.

“I’m looking very seriously at it,” Gibson said.

The Republican Party’s 2012 nominee, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, isn’t ruling out another run and continues to draw headlines for his criticism of Cuomo’s actions.

In 2010, Cuomo launched his campaign for governor in front of a New York City courthouse and said “cleaning up Albany” was his top priority.

An Oct. 26 Siena College Research Institute poll, however, said Cuomo is getting poor marks from New Yorkers on reducing corruption. The poll found 69 percent of New Yorkers felt Cuomo was doing a poor or fair job in reducing corruption in state government, while 23 percent said he was doing a good or excellent job.

On the economy, 63 percent of voters polled said Cuomo’s performance on the economy was fair or poor; 35 percent said his efforts were good or excellent.