A Candidate To Watch

Now that Jeanine Pirro’s bid to challenge Senator Clinton has been torpedoed by a group of men in Albany, who cited poor polling numbers as their reason for encouraging the Westchester County district attorney to sit out the race, Mrs. Pirro – with their blessing – has turned her attention to the race for state attorney general, a contest that most polls suggest she will likely lose as well.The problem with recent polls surrounding the attorney general’s race is that they have pitted Mrs. Pirro’s bid for the statewide office against those of a former HUD secretary, Andrew Cuomo, and a former public advocate, Mark Green. Political pundits predict she would lose squarely against either.Left out of the mix, however, is attorney Charlie King, a Rockland County Democrat who has surprised many with his impressive knowledge of the law and his ability to raise funds to stay competitive in one of the most important races in next year’s statewide election. Mr. King, who is black, has been virtually ignored by the press and political pundits, but when one looks objectively at the results his campaign has produced thus far, he ought to be considered a front-runner.He has been endorsed by a cadre of prominent leaders, from Rep. Jose Serrano, a Democrat of the Bronx, to one of the city’s most influential political strategists, Bill Lynch. More important for an underdog candidate, he has been able to do what is absolutely essential in a crowded race against more well-known contenders: raise money.While some political insiders continue to insist that Mr. King – a former candidate for lieutenant governor – can’t win, they base their assessment on the fact that he has not been elected to a city or statewide office.The last time I checked, Mr. Cuomo – who has been dubbed a favorite in the race – has never been elected to office, either. Mr. Cuomo was appointed by President Clinton as HUD secretary, and Mr. King also was selected in 2000 by Mr. Clinton to head up the federal government’s public housing initiative in New York and New Jersey.If Mr. King continues to raise the needed funds, he should have no problem holding his own in taking on his well-financed opponents. More important, Mr. King can win. He is the only person of color in the crowded field of candidates, and he has been barnstorming the state from Brooklyn to Buffalo, talking about the need to improve the state’s education system while offering solutions for the disparity that exists in health care coverage.And he is gaining support among many African Americans across the state, particularly older blacks who still hold a gripe against Mr. Cuomo for staging a contentious Democratic primary for governor in 2002 against H. Carl Mc-Call, the former state comptroller who almost everyone agreed early on was the best candidate to challenge Governor Pataki. Mr. McCall is black.It took a carefully staged press conference at a Manhattan hotel and the intervention of Mr. Clinton to persuade Mr. Cuomo to give up the ghost. Although time has passed, many African Americans feel that Mr. Cuomo’s decision to remain in the race for so long weakened Mr. McCall’s chances of mounting a more forceful challenge against Mr. Pataki.Mr. King has already equaled Mr. Green, a seasoned politician, in fundraising support and has surpassed him in terms of political and union endorsements.The reality is that Mr. King can’t be counted out of this race. Name recognition alone has never been the prerequisite for getting elected to office. No candidate with overwhelming name recognition has won a Democratic statewide primary in more than 30 years. Geraldine Ferraro, Mayor Koch, and even Mr. Cuomo in his run against Mr. McCall did not yield the numbers needed to gain victory.“I’ve raised more money than all but one candidate, which shows how strong my campaign actually is,” Mr. King said. “A lot of people discounted my candidacy because they felt that I had never held office and could not raise the money, but the political support that I have received and the strength of my fund-raising efforts, dispute that assessment of my candidacy,” he added.Mrs. Pirro’s name recognition won’t be enough for her, either. She has to speak to the issues that concern New Yorkers, particularly African-American voters, who may very well be the deciding vote next November.A King vs. Pirro race next November would be interesting. If anything, it would be important symbolically. A woman and an African-American candidate traveling the state to become New York’s highest law enforcement officer – now that’s a picture we haven’t seen before.

A Candidate To Watch

A Candidate To Watch

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