County Executive Chris Collins said Tuesday that he has ended his exploratory run for governor,

citing the difficult task of raising enough money for a statewide campaign and his desire to

"finish the job" in Erie County.

The first-term Republican said that a series of controversial statements he made on the

campaign trail did not figure in his decision to leave the race, but he acknowledged that the

"realist" in him recognizes that he faced an uphill task in achieving the goal.

"It becomes apparent to me that my message of real reform and change has not been embraced

by those who are happy with the status quo," he told The Buffalo News.

The move is seen as a major boost to Rick Lazio, who had emerged as Collins' main party

rival for the nomination. Insiders say the former Long Island congressman already can count on

support from about 40 percent of county chairmen when the party convenes to endorse a

candidate in May. Some of the chairmen who have been leaning toward Collins are now free to

move into the Lazio camp.

Still, Collins said he hopes a major Republican figure will yet emerge to run this fall,

possibly a business type with the ability to finance the campaign. He said he did not plan to

support Lazio, noting that his rival's campaign finance reports indicate he has only about

$600,000 on hand when $35 million to $50 million is necessary.

"He's got a tough row to hoe, especially when you look at his fundraising numbers," Collins

said. "I'll just leave it that I wish him good luck."

Still, Collins' withdrawal leaves Lazio as the overwhelming favorite at this point to

capture the party endorsement, though State GOP Chairman Edward F. Cox continues to insist he

is talking with other Republicans who may be interested in the race.

One other possibility is Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, a Democrat who some say could

be persuaded to run as a Republican. But such a move would require party approval, and GOP

sources say a number of chairmen already are rebelling against the idea.

Collins said Tuesday he believes that Levy "has done a very good job in Suffolk County" but

has not discussed the possibility of his switching parties to run.

The Erie County executive had been viewed as a formidable force when he began dropping

hints about a gubernatorial run last year. Just as during his 2007 campaign for county

executive, he was viewed as a "fresh face" who could make a case for running government like a

business.

He spent most of the summer attending upstate GOP picnics and courting New York City money

sources, and over Christmas scored a major coup when 15 Republican county chairmen signed a

letter urging him to run. He also hired a Washington political consultant and a Manhattan

public relations firm to guide him through the process.

As recently as last week, the county executive was on the campaign trail in Albany and

Plattsburgh, speaking to various groups about his plans to reduce state spending and, in turn,

cut taxes. His goal, he emphasized then, was to put New York on an equal competitive footing

with states such as North Carolina.

Such states, he said, have been able to attract business and jobs because of their

reasonable tax structure.

But other than favorable reactions from "tea party" groups and others, he was unable to

move past the downstate and Albany powers he said were unreceptive to his message. And he

endured major criticism last October when he compared Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver —

an Orthodox Jew — to Hitler and an Antichrist.

But he said that criticism had nothing to do with his decision to leave the race. Neither,

he said, did remarks attributed to him at the governor's State of the State speech Jan. 6 in

Albany in which he suggested that a female acquaintance could find a seat in a trade for a

"lap dance."

"I got a lot of supportive calls from those who said they knew where this smear campaign

was coming from," he said, declining once again to identify who might have been behind such a

smear.

Collins said he made his decision despite new encouragement for Republicans after Scott

Brown's upset victory in last week's special election to fill a U.S. Senate seat in

Massachusetts. He recognized the same phenomenon, he said, as he traveled the state.

"That tells me the public is angry, cynical, and that they've had enough," he said. "Quite

frankly, I thought the message would be embraced across the board. It has been by the "tea

parties,' but not by the status quo."

Collins said he still faces a "big job" in Erie County and anticipates significant

financial problems in the years ahead. Although he had been exploring a run for governor, he

said, he now believes he needs to serve the remainder of his term and run for re-election in

2011.

To that end, he said he would keep in his campaign account the $600,000 in personal funds

he recently loaned it, pointing to the re-election effort he plans to launch next year.

"The county has some speed bumps ahead, and I think I am the right one to guide the process

ahead," he said. "I have no regrets."

Indeed, a day of campaigning last week that started at 6:30 a.m. in Buffalo, took him to

Albany and Plattsburgh, and ended in Syracuse at 1:30 a.m. also hit home, he said.

"I'm not disappointed," Collins said. "I would just say that I am realistic, and to some

extent, pleased to be able to say my focus is on Erie County."