Weld Endorsed By Daily News In GOP Primary, Keeps Support Of Rockland Republicans

Today was a good day for Republican gubenatorial candidate William Weld. He woke this morning to find he had been edorsed by the Daily News in his battle with John Faso for the state party's nomination.

It also looked yesterday as though Weld might lose the support of the Rockland County Republican Committee, given the fact that Faso picked Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef as his candidate for lieutenant governor.

Capitol Confidential reports today, however, that Weld will keep the Rockland GOP's endorsement. The county party is supporting a split ticket of Weld and Vanderhoef.

Weld's campaign also posted a four-minute infomercial on the former Massachusetts governor today. It amounts to a really long political ad, but it's viewable here if you want to take a look.

CONSERVATIVES NAME THIER TEAM

The Conservative Party of New York State officially made its endorsements for the fall elections last night.

• U.S. Senate: Former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer
• Governor: Former Assembly Minority Leader John Faso
• Lt. Governor: Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef
• State Attorney General: Former Westchester County DA Jeanine Pirro
• State Comptroller: Saratoga County Treasurer J. Christopher Callaghan

SPENCER SAYS GOP PRIMARY WOULD BE "DEATH SENTENCE" FOR WINNER

Spencer and former Reagan Defense Department spokeswoman KT McFarland continue to slug it out for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate.

The GOP convention is just days away and it is possible both candidates will get enough votes to win a place on a primary ballot.

Spencer, in an Associated Press story today, said a primary between the two would be a "death sentence" for the party's effort to unseat the well-healed Democrat, Sen. Hillary Clinton in November.

RIGGER IS PUTNAM COUNTY DEMS' CHOICE FOR CONGRESS IN 19TH

Putnam County Democrats last night endorsed Darren Rigger of Peekskill in the multi-candidate race for the party's nod in New York's 19th Congressional District, currently held by Republican Rep. Sue Kelly. Orange County Democrats are meeting tonight and the Westchester meeting is tomorrow night. The 19th District is spread out over all or part of five counties in the Lower Hudson Valley, including the three mentioned above. It also covers parts of Rockland and Dutchess counties.


O'DONNELL PICKS UP PUTNAM ENDORSEMENT IN A.G. RACE

Denise O'Donnell, one of several Democratic candidates for attorney general, picked up the endorsement of the Putnam and Columbia county Democrats.

CUOMO PICKS UP SUPPORT IN SCHENECTADY

The leader in the polls in the attorney general race, Andrew Cuomo, picked up endosements in Schenectady County today, including that of the county's Democratic Party chairman Brian Quail.

McFARLAND PICKS UP SUPPORT OF TOMPKINS COUNTY CHAIR

Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, KT McFarland, today announced she has picked up the support of Tompkins County GOP Chairwoman Elizabeth Cree.

BLOGGER TURNED CANDIDATE

Democrat Brian Keeler, of Hopewell Junction, is expected to officially announce tomorrow that he will challenge veteran Republican state Sen. Stephen Saland in the 41st District, up in the Poughkeepsie area.

Keeler describes himself as "progressive" and a founding member of ePluribus Media, which he calls the "largest citizen investigative journalism on the Internet." He's also a contributor to the liberal blog the Daily Kos, and credits himself with being part of a reporting team that broke the Jeff Gannon (psuedo-journalist in the White House) story.