ALBANY — New York Republicans will start taking on Gov. Cuomo on Monday with an ad attacking the incumbent for claiming New York is experiencing an economic renaissance.
The first GOP attack ad of the campaign, called “Cuomo’s New York,” will strike back at the governor’s months-long, multimillion-dollar “Start Up NY” TV ads that tout New York’s alleged economic turnaround.
“Andrew Cuomo is spending millions of our tax dollars on ads that are not true,” states the GOP ad, which goes on to claim New York ranks last nationally in economic outlook, has the nation’s highest property taxes, leads the country in outmigration and has been ranked the worst state to retire.
“Andrew Cuomo’s policies have New York last in too many categories,” concludes the ad. “And no amount of . . . ads will change that.”
State GOP party spokesman David Laska said the ad buy would be “significant” and would run through the end of the month on broadcast and cable stations.
“This is our opening salvo,” Laska said.
A Democratic political insider questioned the actual size of the ad buy — and the logic of attacking the governor before little-known GOP challenger Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino was even introduced to New Yorkers.
And a Democratic Party spokesman put the focus on Astorino’s failure as a county leader.
“Westchester County has been losing under Rob Astorino as he presides over the highest tax county in the nation,” spokesman Peter Kauffmann said.
“Gov. Cuomo has reversed a decades-long trend by improving the business climate and helping to create 400,000 new jobs . . . the second-highest rate of job growth in the nation.”
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Gov. Cuomo’s reelection campaign is flush with cash — but the first-term governor can raise even more if liberal activist and Fordham law Prof. Zephyr Teachout manages to get on the Democratic primary ballot.
With no primary challenger, Cuomo can raise a maximum $41,100 from individuals. But if he’s “challenged” in a primary, contributors can give an additional $19,700 each.
The virtually unknown Teachout, who sought the Working Families Party nomination, but lost it to Cuomo, began circulating nominating petitions Friday to enter the Democratic primary. It’s unclear whether she can secure the required 15,000 signatures to get on the ballot.
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The five dissident Senate Dems who control the chamber with the Republicans have a message for Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio and labor unions who have threatened to force them into primaries unless they realign with the chamber’s mainline Democrats: “Bring it on.”
“The Independent Democratic Conference is not intimidated by the hostile rhetoric and threats of those who engage in the politics of extortion,” said the conference’s spokeswoman, Jennifer Rainville. “Every single one of our members is ready for a primary and ready to have a serious conversation and debate about who can best serve New York’s working families. Bring it on!”
While not ruling out forming a new coalition with the mainline Dems, Rainville insisted that “the IDC is, and will continue to be, a strong stabilizing sensible force of governing in New York State.”
