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L.I. Democrat To Switch Parties, Run For Governor
By
Ben Muessig
Published Mar 18, 2010
Modified Mar 18, 2010
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By
Ben Muessig
Published Mar 18, 2010
Modified Mar 18, 2010
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A Long Island Democrat is planning to become a Republican so he has a better shot at becoming Governor. In a move that could turn out shaking up an election many thought was already decided—even though the predicted winner still hasn't officially declared his candidacy—Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy will leave the Democratic Party and become a Republican in pursuit of higher office.
Levy casts himself as a fiscal conservative furious about overspending who can clean up the "cesspool" in Albany. "There really seems to be a void out there that I can fit perfectly," he told the Times. "We've got to clean house, tear that place down and build it back in a cleaner, more efficient manner." Running as a Republican will make it easier for Levy to appear on the ballot than if he challenged probable Democratic candidate Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, but he'll still have to beat Republican candidate Rick Lazio.
Levy is a popular figure in Long Island, where he won his most-recent re-election bid with 96 percent of votes. But he's been criticized by immigrant rights activists who opposed his efforts to found a national organization that lobbies for more immigration busts, deputize local police officers to make immigration arrests, and try to force day laborers off the streets while opposing plans to create hiring sites. In response to critiques of his immigration policy, Levy's staff released a 1,300-word rebuttal highlighting the fact he hired a Hispanic police commissioner and distributed a play about immigration to county schools.
According to the Times, Levy is known for being frugal. He drives an old Ford Taurus instead of a newer car and often stays at the Red Roof Inn when he travels. He's also known for being vain. After reportedly telling a newspaper photographer that a recent picture made his nose look too large, he asked the shooter: "Am I being too much of an image-conscious guy if I say, 'Can you get my front?'" The Post reports Levy is expected to officially announce his party-switching move at a press conference tomorrow in Albany.
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andrew cuomo
democrat
governor
image
immigration
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Politics
republican
rick lazio
steve levy
suffolk county
suffolk county executive
Ben Muessig
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