NY players will find ways to ride the White House wave
Even hard-core Donald Trump supporters have stopped trying to sell the idea that the real estate heir born in Jamaica Estates could take New York’s 29 electoral votes on Tuesday.
But whether he or Hillary Clinton wins the presidency, the state party organizations and its top players have a stake.
If it’s Trump, the immediate beneficiaries may be several well-heeled GOP figures who are already well known.
Carl Paladino, a Western New York real-estate businessman most famous statewide for losing to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in 2010, has been with Trump from the start. He’s never been totally at one with the party structure, but with an ally in the White House, he can count on some measure of clout.
Giuliani, of course, has served as a frequent TV surrogate for the GOP nominee, and has been touted for a big cabinet position in a Trump administration. There’s also Robert Mercer, CEO of Renaissance Technologies, and his daughter, Rebekah, who are big Trump allies and funders.
Bringing blue-collar jobs back to the state as promised would presumably be a longer-range project.
Since the Democratic Party generally dominates New York government, its biggest names would come up as the state’s former junior senator returns to reside in the White House.
Senior Sen. Chuck Schumer, who’s widely expected to be re-elected Tuesday, has been tapped to succeed the soon-to-retire Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
Since Clinton served alongside him for six years, Schumer would have a unique relationship with the new president. Still, depending who comes out in the majority Tuesday, Schumer could become the big opposition Democrat on Capitol Hill if Trump wins.
The rivalry of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio will get another airing in a new context if Clinton prevails. Both were in the Bill Clinton administration.
Keep the judiciary in mind, too. Presidential nominations to the Supreme Court have gone to a number of New Yorkers over the years, but more commonly, there are federal judgeships and U.S. attorney’s offices to be filled out of Washington, D.C.
Much as institutions of the republic appear to be under severe strain, the spoils system is a sure bet to endure.
Dan Janison is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
