Political Leaders Favor Moving Up Presidential Primary to February 5

ALBANY — Key New York political leaders indicated yesterday they favor moving the state's presidential primary up a month to February 5 — a shift that could help the 2008 campaigns of Senator Clinton and Mayor Giuliani.

National polls show the two New Yorkers are front-runners for their respective party's nominations.

Meanwhile, the head of the state's influential Conservative Party, Michael Long, said that despite Mr. Giuliani's past support for abortion, gay rights, and tough gun-control legislation, "he has a very good chance at getting the [Republican] nomination" for president. Mr. Long said he expected Mrs. Clinton to be the Democratic Party's nominee.

Several other big states, including California and New Jersey, are already considering shifting their primaries to February 5. Such a move could create a new Super Tuesday showdown just days after the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary and the follow-up South Carolina primary.

"The speaker is favorably inclined to move the date. He thinks it would be the right thing for the state and will be speaking to the governor about doing it," a spokesman for state Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver, Charles Carrier, said.

Governor Spitzer has yet to decide where he stands on the plan, first reported in yesterday's edition of the New York Post.