N.Y. governor won’t drop plans to run

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Gov. David Paterson isn’t scrapping his plans to run for the office he inherited 18 months ago, despite growing pressure from Washington and intervention by the Rev. Al Sharpton, who has contacted the governor and the White House over his concern.

“My plans for 2010 are to run for governor of the state of New York,” Paterson said Sunday after serving as grand marshal to the African-American Day Parade in Manhattan. “I am running for office.”

Paterson’s remarks come amid mounting pressure from Washington and within New York to drop out because of his low poll numbers and concerns from other Democrats that he might hurt their chances in 2010.

“I think the White House is very concerned about 2010,” said Lee Miringoff of the Marist College poll, which last week found Paterson mired in some of the lowest approval ratings of any New York governor.

“They are worried that Paterson’s pick for the U.S. Senate, [Kirsten] Gillibrand, might be vulnerable,” Miringoff said. “They are also worried they might lose that seat, and they want the head of the ticket to be stronger than Paterson’s numbers are.”

Asked if he was concerned about losing some Democratic support because of his low poll numbers, Paterson said: “No, I feel like in this very difficult economic time, just about all the governors are facing the same types of problems.”

But the signals from Washington Democrats may be what Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, riding high in the polls, needs to increase fundraising for a possible run for governor. Cuomo has refused to challenge Paterson so far and has declined to say if he will seek the job held by New York’s first black and legally blind governor.

In addition to governor, every statewide office and the majority of state Senate seats will be decided in the 2010 elections.

A Cuomo spokesman wouldn’t respond to requests to comment Sunday.

“Clearly, the governor is not doing well with New York voters right now,” said Steven Greenberg of the Siena College poll. “But, again, the election is 14 months away ... that’s a lifetime in politics, or multiple lifetimes.”

Sharpton said on his radio show Sunday that he has spoken with the White House and Paterson about his concern that Democrats do what is best for the people of New York. He wouldn’t say whether he was advising Paterson to drop out.

Obama has not spoken with Paterson about the race, said a senior White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive political matter. But it’s no secret that Democrats — in New York, in Washington and at the White House — are very concerned about Paterson’s re-election bid.

The White House has not ordered Paterson to leave the race and would not do so, the official continued, saying only that the governor can make the decision about what’s right for him, the party and the state. But Paterson and his advisers have been made aware of Obama’s concern about losing the governor’s office in such a key state, the White Office official said.