Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani may be considering a run for governor in 2010, according to various reports, and could come to a decision on the matter within weeks.
The former 2008 Republican presidential candidate could decide to run in as soon as the next 30 to 60 days, the New York Times reports, if he concludes that public discontent with state government and economic unrest have created the right conditions.
In what the New York Post called "the strongest signal yet that he's thinking of running for governor," Giuliani's aides on Monday were working the phones to gauge whether Niagara County Republican chairman Henry Wojtaszek (a longtime Giuliani supporter) has enough support to run for the position of state Republican party chairman.
Current state party chairman Joseph Mondello resigned on Monday, after Giuliani visited him on Friday and encouraged him to do so, according to the New York Times.
Giuliani has reportedly met with several fellow Republicans to discuss his potential candidacy, and Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) told the New York Daily News that he believes the chances are "better than 50-50" that Giuliani will run.
According to recent polls, Giuliani would have a good chance of beating Democratic Gov. David Paterson but would have a harder time against potential Democratic candidate Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who has not announced if he plans to run against Paterson in a primary. The Siena Research Institute found 55 percent of registered voters polled this month had an unfavorable opinion of Paterson, Newsday reported. Giuliani would beat Paterson in a general election match-up by 56 percent to 33 percent, according to the poll, while Cuomo would beat Giuliani, 53 percent to 40 percent.
So far the only declared Republican candidate for governor is former Rep. Rick Lazio, who lost to Hillary Clinton in the 2000 New York Senate race.