Colby Hamilton

Last night was a big night for Governor Andrew Cuomo, who came out looking like the person who gained the most from big wins in Westchester, Erie and Suffolk Counties. But there was another major winner in last night's elections. It happened much further down ticket, in a series of local races in Central New York.

The message--louder in some places, but consistent--from communities that would constitute ground zero in the natural gas drilling boom, were hydraulic fracturing were to come to New York, was: Drilling is unwelcome here.

In the most watched set of elections happening in Otsego County, Democratic candidates for the county legislature, who had made this year's election a kind of referendum on hydrofracking, gained two seats in the Republican-controlled body.

While anti-fracking candidates were unable to gain control of the county legislature, down ticket candidates scored significant victories as town supervisors and board members. "We Won!!!" screamed the headline on the website for Sustainable Otsego, the group backing anti-drilling candidates across the county.

Outside of the more high-profile races in Otsego, races in other nearby counties--Delaware, Steuben, Sullivan, and Tompkins Counties, in particular--local candidates also won on anti-fracking platforms.

In the town of Dryden in Tompkins County, incumbents who had supported a ban on drilling were reelected. In Sidney, over in Delaware County, a coalition of anti-fracking candidates won the open two seats on the town board and the clerk's position.

Of course, it wasn't a clean sweep. In the towns of Mamakating and Liberty in Sullivan County, pro-drilling candidates won positions as town supervisors. And as the Sustainable Otsego website points out, 15 of the seats they were hoping to win were not. But with so many candidates clearly arguing against the drilling process and winning, the message from last night is that many voters in Central New York are opposed to the process.

And the person this affects the most is Governor Andrew Cuomo. As polls have shown, opposition to hydrofracking--something the Governor is not overtly opposed to--is strongest in upstate communities. If the message in last night's elections is relatively clear, so too is its target. Whether the Governor is receptive still remains to be seen.

From WNYC:

A veteran City Council member funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars meant for charity to benefit himself, his girlfriend and family, prosecutors charged Wednesday.

Larry Seabrook, 60, was charged last year in a probe of alleged abuse of discretionary funds — prosecutors claim the Democrat placed his girlfriend, family members and friends on the payroll of charities, even though they did little or no actual work.

Read more here.

As Nick Reisman just pointed out on the State of Politics blog, last night was a bittersweet victory for Republicans in Westchester. As we pointed out here earlier, the Republicans were spending big and running hard to break the county legislative supermajority that Democrats have used to block Republican county executive Rob Astorino.

While they may end up overcoming the supermajority--one of the races is too close to call--but, as Reisman points out, it comes at considerable cost.

[A]fter the state Republicans poured money into the races and after a story touting the efforts ran in The Wall Street Journal, Astorino’s governing accomplishments for the remainder of his term will likely remain difficult to come by — giving him a thin resume should he run for higher office.

For a New York Republican Party with few things to smile today, the Board of Legislators race has to hurt the most.

But it goes beyond that for Westchester Republicans and the state party. Last year's story line was similar to this year's: Republicans were gunning for vulnerable Senate Democrats a year of Astorino's surprise victory. It looked like Westchester Republicans were poised to make gains in the Senate.

In one race, they didn't get the guy they wanted to replace outgoing Republican Vincent Leibell, instead watching rogue Tea Partier Greg Ball go on to win the election. In the other two, they were unable to take out Senators Andrea Stewart-Cousins or Suzi Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer's race against Bob Cohen came down to the wire, but in the end Oppenheimer was elect to her 14th term.

Astorino's own Miracle on the Hudson in 2009 is now looking more like an aberration than a sea change in voters sentiment.

Courtsey of the Governor's office.

Across the state, a slew of local races played out in what has been a slow electoral year. But one thing is certain: Governor Andrew Cuomo came out as the big winner last night.

The Governor lent his support to more than 50 candidates throughout the state, but there were three big races that are being pointed to as wins for the Governor.

Mark Poloncarz pulled out a win against Chris Collins, the Republican Erie County executive who some saw as a potential rival of Cuomo's in 2014. In Suffolk County, Steven Bellone will succeed Steve Levy as the county Executive, beating the county treasurer, Republican Angie Carpenter. And in Westchester County, Assemblyman Mike Spano is the new mayor of Yonkers, knocking off his Republican opponent, Yonkers City Councilman John Murtagh.

"He demonstrated his power, and enhanced it at the same time," Doug Muzzio, Baruch College professor and political commentator, said of the elections' significance for the Governor.

These wins came in three key areas--Eastern Long Island, Western New York, and the suburbs of New York City--that the Governor will need to win in his reelection bid. They're also hot spots in the battle for control of the state legislature and Congress.

Muzzio, a New Jersey resident, made another interesting observation. The Governors of New York and New Jersey are routinely rumored to be potential candidates in the 2016 Presidential race. Both of the Governor's extended themselves and their gravitas to local races. Only one came away with a significant victory.

"In the 2016 Cuomo-versus-Christie battle, Cuomo wins," Muzzio said.

"We are a progressive society," Governor Andrew Cuomo said on the Fred Dicker Show on 1300 AM out of Albany. "But we're tax payers and we want the government to run efficiency and effectively."

Thus the Governor articulated the Cuomo Doctrine. Not that this is anything new, but I'm not sure he's so clearly articulated. A progressive social doctrine, most easily identified by the push for same-sex marriage, buffeted by a high sensitivity toward tax issues and fiscal discipline. See the millionaires' tax and his battle with the unions.

Cuomo was also asked about the budget situation. Last week the Governor put the breaks on the annual mid-year fiscal report, claiming volatility in the stock market was leading to too much uncertainty for a projection to be made.

How are things looking now? "Grim."

He went on to say that "the news is not good" and that the current projections, when they're finished, will need to be looked at as guides for the upcoming budget. "These numbers are not just another forecast," Cuomo said. "We're going to have to make decisions on these numbers."

We're following the most important races below. Please check back throughout the night for updated results.

You can get full statewide results here.

Today is Election Day. You might have forgotten until you read this—unless you live on Staten Island. And even then you should be forgiven for not remembering. After all, who or what is actually on the ballot?

For voters in every borough but the Bronx, what few bother to head to the polls will be electing judges to the Supreme and Civil Court today. Electing judges doesn’t have the glamor and appeal of a Presidential, Gubernatorial or Mayoral race. But, dear reader, I will endeavor to convince you that heading to the polls today is well worth your while—even if it’s to vote for no one.

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Mayor Michael Bloomberg weighed in on the nation's fiscal issues this morning at an event in Washington, DC this morning, saying the economy was hamstrung by Federal policies that refused to tackle, in earnest, the nation's debt and deficit issues.

"There is widespread recognition in the business community that we have to make big changes – now – or risk having big changes thrust upon us in the form of further credit downgrades, high inflation, or unacceptably severe austerity that would harm the most vulnerable Americans," the Mayor said in his remarks at the event co-sponsored by the Center for American Progress and the American Action Forum.

"But so long as the Federal government continues running huge deficits, and engaging in kabuki dances every few months about how to fix them, business leaders will be less likely to make major long-term investments that would produce jobs."

The mayor called on the Federal lawmakers to embrace cuts to entitlements and tort reform, as well as ending the Bush-era tax cuts and the closing of tax loopholes. Bloomberg said he supported embracing the Erskine-Bowles commission's proposal, which would, among other things, raise the retirement age for Social Security.

"When you look at Social Security’s underlying numbers, the need for reform is undeniable – especially when you consider that one of every two children born today is likely to live to be more than 100 years old," Bloomberg said. "That’s great news for the next generation. But to support their retirements, we’re going to have to adjust."

The Mayor also said he originally supported temporarily extending the tax, but that the time had come to let the tax cuts expire.

"Opponents will yell and scream about taxes and cuts destroying the economy. But the same people said the same thing in 1993, when President Clinton and Congress adopted those rates as part of a major deficit reduction plan. And I think everyone would agree that turned out pretty well," the Mayor said.

Bloomberg used the opportunity to voice his support for Governor Andrew Cuomo's refusal to extend a surcharge tax on upper-income earners in New York. He echoed the Governor's logic that a New York-only tax on wealth places the state at a competitive disadvantage.

“Not only is it class warfare that divides us when we need uniting, but I think Governor Cuomo is exactly right that a millionaire’s tax will lead people and businesses to leave New York or grow in other places – and we just can’t afford that," the Mayor said.

In the end, Bloomberg said, the measures he outlined would save the US $8 trillion and would balance the budget by 2021.

As we reported last week, the EPA has announced a time frame for the release of its study on hydrofracking--something fracking opponents have been waiting for.

Now, at least one member of the New York State Assembly is asking Governor Cuomo to put the breaks on the state's own environmental review process until the EPA finishes its work. Assemblyman Dan O'Donnell of Manhattan sent the letter below to the Governor, asking "for the completion of the Congressionally-mandated review of hydraulic fracturing by the EPA before issuing permits in New York State."

The EPA's time frame--releasing draft findings sometime in 2012, with the final report due in 2014--would likely outlast the state's process, which could result in permits as soon as next year.

  (Courtesy of the Assemblyman's Facebook page)

...is from Manhattan Media publisher Tom Allon. Not sure if he is legally required to approve the message, but, in case you had any doubt, he does.

County Exec Rob Astorino, center, with GOP candidates for Westchester County Legislature. (Courtesy of Candidates for a Healthy Westchester)

Tomorrow will be a pretty sleepy Election Day for most of New York City (Staten Island somewhat excluded). But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some high-profile races happening elsewhere in New York. Here’s a rundown of some of the key races voters will be heading to the polls for tomorrow.

Westchester County Legislature

Two years ago, Republican Rob Astorino scored a surprise upset over longtime Democratic incumbent Andy Spano to become Westchester County Executive. Now, Republicans have fielded 13 candidates in an attempt to break the Democratically-controlled legislature’s super majority. Their message is unified behind the collective “Candidates for a Healthy Westchester” banner, which lists property tax relief and job growth as the biggest issues this election.

The state’s Republican Party is spending heavily in an area it believes is ripe for growth since Astorino’s win. But, as YNN’s Nick Riesman points out, thetomorrow’s election could end up deciding Astorino’s future:

Astorino is a potential statewide candidate, but he’s also basically the star pitcher of an otherwise lousy farm team… The county executive needs some concrete accomplishments should he decide to run for higher office or even win re-election in 2013. The county has also been warned that its coveted AAA bond rating could be downgraded, a move that would certainly put a blot on Astorino’s resume, no matter how much he knocks the Democratic-controlled board.

State Republicans, I think it’s fair to say, don’t want to lose Astorino, a rare downstate Republican.

Suffolk County Executive

In a county split nearly even between Democratic and Republican enrollees, the race to succeed Steve Levy, a Democrat who had wanted to run against Andrew Cuomo as a Republican last year. With Levy not seeking reelection, two seasoned politicians are vying to takeover.

The county’s Republican treasurer, Angie Carpenter, is facing off against Steve Bellone, the Democratic town supervisor of Babylon. Not surprisingly, the economy has been front and center, with both candidates talking about the need for the county to be run more fiscally conservative.

It’s no wonder: whoever takes over will face a $135 million budget deficit.

Erie County Executive

In perhaps the most watched race this year, Republican incumbent Chris Collins is being fiercely challenged by Democratic county Comptroller Mark Poloncarz. Despite Collins outspending Poloncarz by 3 to 1, the candidates are reportedly running in a dead heat.

The campaign has been notable in the number of big numbers who’ve weighed in on the race. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has lent his name to Collins’ campaign while Governor Cuomo has come out in support of Polocarz (the Governor has lent his support to approximately 50 other candidates, including Bellone).

Collins is another GOP rising star. Cuomo’s interest in the race goes beyond simply party loyalty; Collins has been mentioned as a potential gubernatorial candidate 2014. The race is also giving Cuomo the opportunity to bring a fractured Erie County Democratic Party together. The Times-Union’s Jimmy Vielkind got Siena Research Institute pollster Steve Greenfield saying this about Cuomo’s efforts:

"With the little endorsements, the governor is trying to build up Democratic support in areas around the state that Democrats don't traditionally do very well in…It's a good strategy to do it now three years before his re-election, and if he keeps doing it between now and then, it will help him."

148th Assembly District

The lone state legislative race this year is also in Western New York. After Republican Assemblyman Jim Hayes stepped back in August, local attorneys Craig Bucki and Raymond Walter are vying for the first change of the Assembly seat in more than a decade.

Bucki, the Democrat, is reportedly polling closer than expected against the Republican Walter. A Bucki win would put the Assembly Democrats back in a position of supermajority able to override the Governor’s veto without Republican support. But he’ll have to beat Walter, who is serving on the Erie County Legislature, in a traditionally Republican district.

On today's Brian Lehrer Show Joyce Purnick recalled Mayor Michael Bloomberg's 2001 campaign issues with sexual harassment charges. As Purnick notes, Bloomberg's handling of the issue is something GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain--in the midst of his own scandal--should take note of. The conversation starts at 22:15.

The Governor's office released a video today of Andrew Cuomo speaking directly to New Yorkers about the tax cap enacted earlier this year in Albany.

In his message, the Governor touted the work he and state legislators did to enact the cap. The video below comes a week after business and government groups called on state government to pass a series of mandate reliefs to help ease the burden of a tax cap.

A number of local governments are trying to get budgets passed that override the cap. The governor appears to be pushing voters to directly engage local governments to justify their spending and to see the cap as a tool for voters.

If you want to raise taxes, you can raise taxes. If you want to lower taxes, you can lower the taxes. If you want to live within the cap, or be below the cap, it's all your choice; but you decide, the people decide, not the politicians, that's the way it's supposed to be. ... I urge you to be there when your local government's budget is being debated. Attend the school board meetings. Ask your elected officials about their spending choices, talk to them about the cost of the bureaucracy and inefficiencies, ask them if their community should consider consolidating with other communities or sharing services to find economies of scale.

Tomorrow is Election Day in New York and if you're wondering who's running for what in New York City the answer is not a whole lot. Once every four years New Yorkers find themselves in an off-year, where most people have little or--in the case of the Bronx and Manhattan this year--no contested races. Essentially those races have been all but decided in the primaries.

The one high-profile race in the city this year is the Staten Island District Attorney's race. The current District Attorney, Republican Dan Donovan, is being challenged by Michael Ryan, the Democrat, who is also appearing on the Conservative Party line.

Donovan ran for Attorney General last year against then-Assemblyman Eric Schneiderman and lost. This year's race is a rerun of the 2007 contest between these two candidates. Ryan has gone after Donovan over prescription drug abuse and local crime. Governor Andrew Cuomo has backed Ryan's campaign. Donovan has been endorsed by former mayors Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani.

Gail Robinson of Gotham Gazette had this interesting (sad?) observation about the non-race for the Bronx District Attorney:

Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson has the Republican, Democratic and Conservative party lines in his quest for another term. The Bar Association of the City Of New York lists Johnson as not approved for the post but voters have little choice — but he’s unopposed anyway.

We here at the Empire encourage you to find your polling station and a sample of your local ballot on the Board of Elections website.

Courtsey of the Governor's office

Governor Andrew Cuomo continues his string of good poll numbers. A NY1/YNN-Marist Poll released today says 55 percent of New York voters say the Governor is doing a good or excellent job. According to the poll 70 percent of those surveyed said they had a favorable impression of Cuomo.

“Governor Cuomo is successfully navigating against a difficult economic current,” Lee Miringoff, Director of The Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, said in a statement. “What makes his numbers particularly impressive is his popularity despite the anti-government, anti-incumbent sentiment in our politics today.”

Case in point: Only about 20 percent of voters think either the Assembly or the State Senate is doing an excellent or good job.

Part of the Governor's popularity is likely stemming from the impression voters have that he's kept his campaign promises, with 65 percent of those surveyed saying he did. His ability to connect word and deed in the voters eyes helping his image as an Albany reformer (63 percent say he's changing the capital for the better) who is the right sort of leader for the state (75 percent).

This week marked the end of the first round of meetings of LATFOR, the joint legislative committee responsible for drawing New York’s political lines. More than 400 people from across the state testified, providing hundreds of hours of comments for legislators to take into account.

So now what?

Update at the bottom.

It’s possibly the biggest issue facing Governor Andrew Cuomo heading into the next legislative session: the so-called “millionaires’” tax. Cuomo has held his ground against a growing chorus—including the leader of the Assembly, Speaker Sheldon Silver—that’s making the Governor’s opposition a real issue. The Occupation movement has changed everything, pitting the Democratic governor against protesters who are backed by major public support for extending the tax.

But there are three good reasons why Cuomo won’t back down—and a big one that could change his mind.

This is too good not to repost. Thanks to Liz Benjamin for putting this up on YNN's State of Politics blog (if the amount of amusing videos is a key, things are slow in Albany today). She dared me not to laugh out loud. I took that challenge, and failed, as will you:

By Karen DeWitt, New York Public Radio Capital Bureau Chief

Courtesy of the Governor's office.

Governor Cuomo’s budget office delayed releasing its annual mid-year budget report and future financial forecast. They cited uncertainties over the European debt crisis and delays in collection of some business taxes due to two hurricanes that hit the state in late summer for the delay.

The governor’s budget office planned to hold preliminary hearings on next year’s state spending plan during the first week of November. But the hearings have been postponed, as have the mid-year budget report and financial forecast.

“There are a number of factors that we’re weighing, there’s significant volatility in the market right now,” said Cuomo. “We want to make sure we have the best information possible, because we’re going to start to make real decisions based on this information.”

Those decisions include how much to spend on key programs like school aid and health care, the largest portions of the budget. After Cuomo and the state legislature cut $10 billion dollars in last year’s budget, they promised they would increase spending on schools and health programs by 4% in the next budget.

In addition, the cost of two devastating hurricanes that hit New York in late summer have yet to be tallied, says the state budget office. Cuomo estimates the total cost at more than a billion dollar, and granted business affected by flooding from the storms a delay in filing their quarterly state income taxes. Payments due September 15th were not received until November 1st.

NYPIRG put out a report on political spending throughout the state today, a copy of which is below.

It's an off year for elections, so you won't see a lot of top-tier races. According to NYPIRG's Bill Mahoney spending is slightly below the last off-year in 2007. He attributed this to the lack of competitive races for county executive and other positions.

One interesting note: the numbers only reflect candidates or committees that are spending for an election this year. If all political spending was looked at, Mayor Michael Bloomberg leads all political spending. The Mayor's campaign committee has so far spent $5,644,999.93 this year--more than any other single candidate or campaign committee.

The report is after the jump.