Rick Lazio to Launch New York Gubernatorial Bid

Former Republican Rep. Rick Lazio is preparing to launch his campaign for New York governor after conducting extensive research and fundraising around the state. Advisers say Lazio called former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a potential challenger, to inform him. An announcement event in Albany is in the works, aides said Monday.

Lazio's last run for office in New York was against Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who beat him soundly in the 2000 Senate race. Lazio served for eight years in the House before challenging Giuliani for Senate, but Giuliani withdrew from the race and left him with the de facto Republican nomination. The numbers suggest he could have just as difficult a time in the 2012 general election, as current polls have his popularity on par with the deeply disliked current governor, David Paterson. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, by comparison, would trounce Lazio by 50 percentage points if the two met in the general election.

Lazio's campaign committee raised a quarter of a million dollars during its first six weeks, and reported $184,000 cash on hand at the end of June.

Lazio to Launch Campaign for New York Governor [CQ Politics]