New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is so fed up with fellow Democrat and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, he is recruiting candidates to run against de Blasio in the 2017 mayoral Democratic primary.
According to New York Post columnist Fred Dicker, Cuomo instructed state Democratic Committee Executive Director Basil Smikle Jr. to spearhead the effort to find a candidate to go up against de Blasio.
Smikle, a Harlem resident with influence among black politicians in the city, has already spoken to a few possible candidates including state Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and city Comptroller Scott Stringer.
“I can’t believe the number of people who have talked to me personally that are thinking of going up against de Blasio. Scott [Stringer] is not alone,” New York Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel told The Daily Caller.
“Hakeem Jeffries–he’s now interested. Don Peebles– he’s now thinking of getting in. There are a lot of people who don’t want to come out, but they know there’s a enough dissatisfaction that they’re putting their names out and saying, ‘What would you say if I told you I was interested in running?’” the Harlem congressman said.
Cuomo and de Blasio have been fighting publicly with for the past few months and a new a Quinnipiac University poll showed that 78 percent say the conflict is harmful to New York residents.
“It’s my view based on what I see going on that not only does Cuomo want de Blasio to lose in 2017, he wants people to know that he’ll be having something to do with it,’’ an anonymous insider told The Post.