An appearance by Texas Governor Rick Perry in Buffalo provided a boost to a Tuesday fundraiser for Rob Astorino, the Republican candidate in the New York gubernatorial race. "This is a significant event that took place here," said Buffalo News Political Reporter Bob McCarthy during a conversation today on WBFO.
Perry's status as a national candidate provides Astorino with the type of high-profile supporter that he has been lacking. McCarthy notes how earlier in the campaign New Jersey Governor Chris Christie publicly dismissed Astorino.
While polls show Astorino still trailing Andrew Cuomo in the Governor's race, the State Attorney General's race may hold more promise.
"Polls show that there is something for (Erie County Republican Party Chairman) Nick Langworthy to be semi-excited about," McCarthy said.
The Republican challenger is John Cahill, one of the most powerful men inside the administration of former New York Governor George Pataki. He's taking on incumbent Democrat Eric Schneiderman.
"He (Cahill) is jabbing away at Eric Schneiderman, especially on his Moreland Commission role," McCarthy said.
An election took place over the weekend that McCarthy believes may show some healing inside the ranks of local Democrats. Jeremy Zellner was reelected as Chair of the Erie County Democratic Party, taking over two-thirds of the vote.
State party leaders, McCarthy says, opted against getting involved in the race, which for many years has been a contentious affair.
"However, there are still some fissures in this party," McCarthy said.
"This is what they (local Democrats) do, they fight."