Story Created:
Sep 27, 2010 at 11:32 AM EDT
Story Updated:
Sep 27, 2010 at 3:43 PM EDT
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Conservative candidate Rick Lazio says he's withdrawing from the race for New York Governor, avoiding a potential three-way race that would have seriously hurt the chances of the tea party Republican who beat Lazio in the primary.
Lazio tells The Associated Press Monday he wants to continue to influence the race and bring a workable job creation program into a contest he says has devolved into name-calling between Republican Carl Paladino and Democrat Andrew Cuomo.
Polls show the maverick Paladino rising against the once seemingly unassailable Cuomo. The latest survey shows Lazio taking 8 percent of voters, most of whom would likely go to Paladino and
No Republican in New York has won statewide office since 1974 without Conservative Party support.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
