ANDREW CUOMO vs. ROB ASTORINO
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has amassed a $32.5 million war chest for his election fight with Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, but has largely avoided campaigning. His first term is up for appraisal by voters, and he has gay marriage and gun control measures to boast about, but is under fire for last weekend’s mandatory Ebola quarantine, which he rolled out without consulting Mayor DeBlasio or the White House and quickly walked back, as well as his torpedoing of the Moreland Commission when its investigation into public corruption turned its attention to his allies. Astorino’s platform has hinged on expanding gun rights and cutting spending.
ANDREW CUOMO
DEMOCRAT, son of former Gov. Mario Cuomo, and former secretary of housing in the Clinton administration
Born in Queens, Cuomo ran a failed bid for governor in 2002, then served a term as New York attorney general before election to his current office in 2010.
56, divorced, three daughters.
Rob ASTORINO
REPUBLICAN, in his second term as Westchester County executive, former Catholic-and-sports-radio executive.
Born and raised in upstate New York, Astorino served on a town board, and on the Westchester County Board of Legislators.
47, married. Two daughters and a son.
THE CAMPAIGN
Cuomo is fresh off an primary win against liberal upstart Zephyr Teachout, who won a surprising 35 percent despite a near-total lack of traditional backing. In the only debate of the general campaign, Cuomo accused Astorino of perpetuating racist housing policies and Astorino said Cuomo could soon be indicted for obstructing a Moreland Commission probe.
Cuomo’s office once ignored 48 consecutive days of requests for comment regarding his handpicked administrators’ closure of Long Island College Hospital.
— Matthew Perlman
