By Robert J. McCarthy
NEWS POLITICAL REPORTER
When State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli stopped by a Hertel Avenue restaurant Monday to endorse fellow Democrat Mark C. Poloncarz for county executive, he was most likely aware of two important figures — 287,770 and 153,172.
That’s the respective number of Democrats and Republicans in Erie County. And at this late stage of the 2011 election, the Democratic playbook is all about getting the significant plurality of Democrats to overwhelm the other guys.
So now a parade of statewide Democratic figures, eventually to be led by the most popular political figure in New York, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, is beginning to descend on Erie County during the campaign’s remaining two weeks. As DiNapoli did at Romeo & Juliet’s restaurant, they will praise Poloncarz as someone who “prioritizes the needs of citizens while protecting the county’s bottom line.”
And while Democrats endorsing Democrats and state comptrollers endorsing county comptrollers will hardly stop the presses, this fall’s effort seems to focus on an expected visit from Cuomo that aims to translate his popularity into votes for Poloncarz.
“There’s a definite effort to energize Democrats with a national Democratic message,” said former Erie County Democratic Chairman G. Steven Pigeon. “I think the idea is to unify them.”
Even among Erie County’s often fractured Democratic hierarchy, Pigeon said, the idea is to involve as many statewide Democrats as possible, culminating in a rare political appearance by the governor.
“He’s probably the only person who can come to Erie County and unify,” said Pigeon, who is not officially involved with the Poloncarz campaign.
Indeed, it was no accident that Italian-American DiNapoli appeared surrounded by Romeo& Juliet’s Italian specialties Monday in a primarily Italian-American neighborhood. With virtually no Republicans challenging Democrats in heavily Democratic Buffalo, observers say much of the Democratic effort will be aimed at whipping up the city’s Democratic base.
The strategy also appears to recognize what pollsters at the Siena Research Institute found among Erie County voters earlier this month in a survey commissioned by The Buffalo News and WGRZ-TV Channel 2 News, which found 68 percent viewed Cuomo favorably and only 26 percent unfavorably.
The governor’s favorable rating jumps to 74 percent in the City of Buffalo. He is even resonating with Erie County Republicans — 59 percent of whom view him positively.
Poloncarz campaign manager Jennifer Hibit noted that Democratic Reps. Kathleen C. Hochul of Amherst and Brian Higgins of Buffalo also have raised funds for Poloncarz, while Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N. Y., has already endorsed him, and support from Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand, D-N. Y., is expected. “The governor and senators and Congress members are all looking to work with someone in government,” Hibit said. “They want a partner.”
Erie County Republican Chairman Nicholas A. Langworthy calls the expected Cuomo visit “standard playbook.”
“He’s doing his duty to his party,” Langworthy said. “And I really don’t think voters in this community care about what politicians do.”
Still, when Cuomo does arrive, it will prove a departure from standard procedure during his short time as governor. He delivered only an online video for Hochul’s special-election campaign for Congress last spring, despite pleas from local Democratic leaders for at least a personal appearance.
Party insiders note that he has been active in the campaign for Suffolk County executive, but getting involved in Erie County — where he lost by 20 points to Republican Carl P. Paladino just a year ago—marks a new venture.
For the first time, Cuomo has also dipped his toe into the other countywide race — Erie County clerk. Over the weekend, he said he “enthusiastically” endorsed Maria R. Whyte, majority leader of the County Legislature, despite never appointing her as interim clerk when Hochul left the position in May to join Congress.
Democratic leaders had expected Cuomo to give Whyte a boost with the interim appointment, after she agreed to back off running for Buffalo comptroller in favor of Assemblyman Mark J. F. Schroeder.
Several other aspects of a reorganization plan for Erie County Democrats sought by Charlie King, executive director of the state Democratic Party and a Cuomo confidant, never materialized, including the desire of state Democrats for Leonard R. Lenihan to leave the helm of the Erie County Democratic Committee. Lenihan announced in June he would resign as chairman but changed his mind in August.