Posted by County executives Steve Levy of Suffolk and Thomas Suozzi of Nassau are seeking to position themselves for runs at statewide office should Paterson step aside, political observers said Monday.
If Attorney General Andrew Cuomo chooses to run for governor, he would leave his current post open for ambitious local politicians – such as Levy and Suozzi, both Democrats.
“Both Suozzi and Steve Levy would do anything to get out of their particular jobs,” said Hank Sheinkopf, a Manhattan-based Democratic consultant. “There are going to be two opportunities that are clear.”
The second opportunity comes with the lieutenant governor’s office, which was vacated by Paterson in March 2008 when he succeeded Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who resigned in a prostitution scandal. The party’s candidate for lieutenant governor is typically selected by the candidate for governor, though a primary is possible.
Neither Suozzi nor Levy is expected to challenge Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, a Great Neck Plaza Democrat, the observers said.
Levy’s connection to anti-immigrant hate groups makes him an unlikely candidate for office outside Suffolk,