New York Republican Rick Lazio’s lackluster gubernatorial campaign has propelled some members of his own party to court a Democrat to switch sides and lead the charge against likely Democratic nominee Andrew Cuomo this fall.

Top Republican officials are scheduled to meet Tuesday with Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy in Albany, signaling a lack of confidence in Mr. Lazio’s low-buzz campaign and his anemic fund raising.

“People just don’t see the campaign taking off the way they would hope a Republican campaign would,” said John Graziano, chairman of the Albany County Republican Committee.

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Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy is the latest local official to warn that the welfare of New Yorkers is threatened by the state Senate standoff.

Levy says in a lawsuit that the Senate is holding up authorization for a local sales tax increase vitally needed to provide $300 million per year to the county and avoid hiking already high property taxes.

The Senate Democratic conference is trying to pin all the blame for the fight over control of the chamber on a Republican-dominated faction.

Democratic conference leader John Sampson tells reporters Tuesday that the Republicans care only about “title, power, pork and patronage.”

The GOP coalition blames Democrats for refusing to acknowledge a June 8 vote they say overthrew the Democrats’ majority.

Source: AP