Capitol Confidential ? Pataki backs Doheny, Gibson and ? Saland

WILTON ? Ex-Gov. George Pataki is sweeping down the Hudson Valley today in a last-minute push for several Republican candidates, including Matt Doheny.

The Watertown investor appeared here with Pataki and over two dozen other Republican leaders and candidates outside a local ambulance company. Pataki noted his youngest son, Teddy, is now stationed at Ft. Drum ? in the district?s western area ? and that his family still owns a farm in Essex County.

The governor said Doheny?s bid to oust Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, will be ?close,? as is the re-election bid of Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, who Pataki will appear with this evening.

?The elections are all going to be close. If you?re asking anybody about polls or what it shows, I can tell you from personal experience that it doesn?t matter. What matters is working until the last minute and encouraging every voter to come out,? he said.

Pataki, a former state senator who went on to serve three terms as governor, then declined to say if he thought Republicans would maintain control of the state Senate, where they now hold a 33-29 majority. ?Ask the political experts that. I tried to do work for the people. The political experts are in the background,? he said.

He did, when prompted, denounce comments by a rabbi who said Superstorm Sandy?s wrath in New York was attributable to the state?s legalization of same-sex marriage. Ken Lovett reported this morning that Pataki called on Neil Di Carlo, who is running on the Conservative Party line in a state Senate seat currently held by Republican Sen. Steve Saland of Poughkeepsie, to denounce the rabbi.

Saland was one of four Republican senators who broke party ranks to support the marriage bill in 2011. DiCarlo came close to beating Saland in a GOP primary, and several political sources have said they fear he might siphon enough votes away from Saland for Democrat Terry Gipson to squeak out a victory.

It seems this could be a sleeper race in this year?s cycle, and that Pataki?s comments were all about bucking up Saland.

?It?s an outrageous statement,? Pataki said of the rabbi, Noson Leiter. ?That?s my home state Senate district, and I?ll be voting for Steve Saland.?

Here?s video of the Q&A, including some banter between Pataki and Kyle Hughes of NYSNYS:

Source: http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/163584/pataki-backs-doheny-gibson-and-saland/

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