By Mark Scott
Albany, NY – Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice officially announced her candidacy for State Attorney General Monday. She's one of five Democrats looking to succeed Andrew Cuomo, who is expected to run for governor this year.
In a video on her campaign website, Rice focused on her crime-fighting record as a career prosecutor. She said crimes that happen in one part of the state can affect all New Yorkers.
"A financial crime on Wall Street can trigger a predatory lending crime, which can trigger a property crime, and can lead to a drug or alcohol crime. And the chaos in Albany sends the message that laws don't need to be obeyed," Rice said. "It's all connected, and the effects are felt where we live, in our homes and our communities."
At a weekend meeting of rural Democrats in Niagara Falls, Rice came in second in a straw poll of delegates who were asked to vote for their choice for attorney general. She ended up with 79 votes. Former State Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo easily won with 166 votes. The straw poll is seen as an early indicator of a candidate's strength.