Spokesperson: Report Giuliani Running for Senate "Not True"
After months of consideration, former New York City mayor and Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani has decided against running for governor of New York, according to a report in the New York Times.
And according to the New York Daily News, the reason is that he's running instead for Senate.
Both newspapers are citing anonymous sources, and Giuliani's team is saying it is premature to say he has made a final decision.
Giuliani spokeswoman Maria Comella flatly told CBS News that the Daily News report is "not true."
In a separate written statement, she said this: "When Mayor Giuliani makes a decision about serving in public office, he will inform New Yorkers on his own."
Giuliani has been seen as the Republicans' strongest candidate in the New York governor's race. He was likely to have faced either incumbent Democratic Gov. David Paterson, against whom he was polling well, or Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, whom polls suggest would have the advantage against Giuliani in a general election.
Cuomo is expected to challenge Paterson in the Democratic Party, and he appears to be the White House's preferred candidate in the race. The only Republican candidate in the race thus far is former congressman Rick Lazio.
Should Giuliani win the Republican Senate nomination for 2010, his likely general election opponant would be Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who was appointed to Hillary Clinton's former seat by Paterson.
The man dubbed "America's mayor" following the Sept. 11th attacks heads the consulting firm Giuliani Partners and has been highly paid as a motivational speaker.
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