A governor's race that seemed all but settled is about to be upended again, by a popular Democrat from Long Island who is set to announce that he is switching parties. The move is certain to excite Republican leaders pessimistic about their party's hopes this fall. [...]
[Steve] Levy, 50, the Suffolk County executive, said he wanted voters to see him as "Scott Brown II," referring to the Massachusetts senator who pulled off an upset against a heavily favored Democrat in January.
"There really seems to be a void out there that I can fit perfectly," Mr. Levy said, describing Albany's political culture as a "cesspool."
"We've got to clean house, tear that place down and build it back in a cleaner, more efficient manner," he added.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Levy, Rene Babich, said late Wednesday that Mr. Levy would announce in a news conference in Albany on Friday that he was seeking the Republican nomination for governor.
But will New York Republicans, the same party that turned the name "Scozzafava" into a verb, be willing to accept a guy who will still technically be a Democrat on election day?
Mr. Levy will face considerable hurdles in winning the Republican nomination. Technically, his change in party registration would not take effect until after the November election; so to gain a spot on the Republican primary ballot, he would have to receive more than 50 percent of the vote at the state party convention in June.
Levy will have to go toe-to-toe with ex-Rep. Rick Lazio, which could promise to be a pretty fun primary -- if Levy's bid even gets that far.
