Andrew Cuomo is going to have to win the New York gubernatorial race on the merits, instead of standing back while the ballot line split between Carl Paladino on the GOP line and Rick Lazio on the Conservative line does his work for him. Lazio has pulled the plug on his bid:
Rick Lazio announced that he is dropping out of the race for New York governor today, ending speculation that he might run on the Conservative Party line.
Lazio, who will reportedly be nominated for a judgeship in the Bronx tonight, said he is dropping out in a press conference today. In his remarks, he called his victorious primary opponent Carl Paladino "flawed," City Hall News reports.
Remember that in New York, the only way to get your name off the ballot is to die or get nominated for a judgeship. Today was the deadline for such a nomination, and it looks like he found someone willing to nominate him. At any rate, Lazio's name won't appear on the ballot, which would have siphoned votes from Paladino even if he hadn't actively campaigned. With Lazio having polled in the single digits (in those post-primary polls that bothered to mention him) and Cuomo polling over 50, this doesn't seem to change the election's trajectory much, but it does reinforce that Cuomo is going to have to work for this and not treat it as a coronation.
