New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has officially got himself a challenger. No, not Donald Trump, despite the rumblings that he's inching toward a run. It was Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino who announced his candidacy for governor Wednesday in a six-minute video on his new campaign website - and boy did he take Cuomo to task.
“After four years, it’s clear he’s not leading at all.”
In the past few months alone, Cuomo has given New Yorkers an awful lot to complain about. Hardworking citizens' most recent grievance with him, for instance, is in regards to his new initiative to offer criminals the opportunity to take college courses - on taxpayers' dime. Astorino uses his six minutes to hammer the liberal leader on this outrageous plan, as well as just about every other wrong turn Cuomo has made as governor.
“New York’s number one for all the wrong things under this governor.”
Specifically, Astorino was referring to Tax Foundation studies that revealed the Empire State is the owner of the highest taxes in the nation and the worst business climate. What's more, a University of Illinois report showed New York was home to the worst corruption.
New York has lost more of its citizens than any other state. More than 400,000 New Yorkers have thrown in the towel and left for a lower cost-of-living and job opportunities elsewhere.
Astorino pledged to not only keep people in New York, but to keep them happy.
To do this, he plans to use the strategies that worked in Westchester, such as cutting tax levies, cutting spending and consolidating government. He also pledged to get rid of Cuomo’s Common Core and replace it with “better standards, teaching and testing all set and controlled at the local level” and insisted he would open more charter schools.
The Republican also made sure to expose Cuomo’s insensitive comments in January that ostracized certain voters.
“Instead of leading, Gov. Cuomo is dividing us by demonizing law-abiding gun owners and telling New Yorkers of faith that there’s no longer a place for them here.”
Now that Astorino has thrown his hat in the ring, the questions remain: Are New Yorkers ready to take a conservative turn and deny Cuomo another term? and will Trump lose interest in the race now that Astorino has stepped forward?
The Republican Party of New York will hold its primary in May. Beating Andrew Cuomo in a deep blue state may seem like a tall order, but at least someone has stepped up - and in a bold way.
Watch his whole campaign video here.
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