Judge orders Andrew Cuomo to... ah, 'pick a date' for NY-11 special election.

There’s a slang phrase that fits this situation – basically, Gov. Andrew Cuomo was dragging his heels on announcing a date for the vacant seat – but it’s a rather vulgar one, so I probably shouldn’t use it. Anyway: “Expressing impatience with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a judge said Tuesday he’ll set a date for a special election to replace convicted former U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm unless Cuomo does so by noon Friday.”  The NY-11 seat (Staten Island, and parts of Brooklyn) has been vacant since Michael Grimm resigned after pleading out on tax fraud, and it is a measure of just how badly the NY Democratic party is doing right now that the Democrats are still considered the underdogs for that seat.

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Which is part of the reason for the delay (which is, technically, a delay in the governor formally declaring the seat to be vacant): the other part is that Andrew Cuomo has a habit of trying to delay special election dates until the actual Election Day itself. Some people will accept the explanation that it’s an attempt to save money; others, that Cuomo knows that Democratic turnout will be better on Election Day*. Either way, the courts have been hitherto reluctant to smack the governor down for delays. That a judge has had enough, for once, is actually somewhat remarkable.  State politics in New York are certainly less preordained these days, yes?

As to the election: the GOP has apparently settled on local district attorney Dan Donovan; the Democrats still don’t have a clue who they’re going to choose.  Which is probably informing Andrew Cuomo’s previous foot-dragging.  Say what you like about Michael Grimm, but at least he apparently knew when was the right time to resign…

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Moe Lane (crosspost)

*And this guy thinks that it’s simply because Andrew Cuomo is a pigheaded so-and-so.  While I don’t agree in the specific case, I have some sympathy for that assessment of Gov. Cuomo’s character in general.

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