ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Upstate Republican lawmaker Brian Kolb launched a campaign for New York governor Tuesday, vowing to take on the state’s high taxes and chronic corruption in what he acknowledged will be an uphill fight against Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Kolb is the first, but unlikely to be the last, candidate to step forward to challenge Cuomo. The Democratic governor is known as a prodigious fundraiser and has been mentioned as a possible White House contender, though he has said he plans to seek a third term.
“Corruption and dysfunction in Albany have transformed our state for the worse and left many feeling powerless to fight back - that ends today,” said Kolb, who first confirmed his plans on Rochester’s WHAM-1180 radio. “As a proud native New Yorker, I believe in our state and I’ll stop at nothing to fix it. We deserve leadership that will foster growth in our economy and replace corruption with accountability.”
A resident of the town of Canandaigua near Rochester, Kolb has served as minority leader in the state Assembly since 2009 and was first elected to the Legislature in 2000. Before that, he served in executive roles at a ceramics technology company and an industrial filtration company.
Kolb is a leading legislative supporter of ethics reforms to address a corruption problem that has seen more than 30 lawmakers leave office facing criminal or ethical allegations since 2000. But his proposals, including term limits, have gained little traction in the Assembly’s Democratic majority.
He’s also a vocal critic of Cuomo’s approach to upstate economic development, saying he’d favor across-the-board tax cuts and regulatory changes instead of the targeted tax breaks and subsidies offered by the current administration.
Cuomo has yet to formally kick off his campaign for a third term, but he’s already set a pace for fundraising that will be difficult for any opponent to match. According to the most recent state filings, Cuomo has $26 million in his campaign account, compared to Kolb’s $255,000.
In addition, Cuomo’s party enjoys a 2-to-1 advantage in voter enrollment over the Republicans.
Democrats mentioned as possible primary challengers to the governor include Stephanie Miner, the outgoing mayor of Syracuse; former Democratic state Sen. Terry Gipson of the Hudson Valley; and actress Cynthia Nixon.
On the Republican side, potential contenders include Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro; former investment manager and 2010 comptroller candidate Harry Wilson; and state Sen. John DeFrancisco of Syracuse.
New York Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox praised Kolb’s legislative service on Tuesday and said he expects the GOP to mount a serious campaign.
“We are enormously encouraged by both the number and caliber of public and private sector leaders who have shown an interest in running,” he said.
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