Golisano adamantly denies reports he may run for Senate in Florida
A miffed B. Thomas Golisano on Tuesday denied blog reports indicating his interest in running for the U. S. Senate from his new home in Florida.
“There’s not one iota of truth to it,” he said. “It’s one of the stupidest untruths I’ve heard in a long time. I’ve never even thought about it.”
Several blogs, television stations and publications Monday picked up a report from Politics1. com, a South Florida political blog. It reported Monday that Golisano “is now contemplating a Democratic run for Florida’s open U. S. Senate seat.”
Several years ago, Golisano became a Republican after running for governor of New York three times on the Independence Party line. This year, he switched his official residency from the Rochester area to Florida.
The billionaire owner of the Buffalo Sabres called The Buffalo News on Tuesday to deny the report and complain that no reporter called him to verify it. (The News had not published the report.)
In addition, Golisano said, he remains disappointed that the political coup he orchestrated in the State Senate on June 8 is not working because “Democrats are the ones who won’t let it work.”
He said the procedural reforms passed by what describes itself as the new Senate leadership (consisting of 30 Republicans and a Democrat) have gone mostly unnoticed. Despite the 31-31 tie that has developed in the coup’s aftermath, Golisano said he is pleased that term limits on Senate leaders and other measures are now part of the Senate system.
“I don’t see them ever going back on them,” he said.
Golisano, founder of Paychex, also provided his strongest hint yet that his Responsible New York political committee will target Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver of Manhattan in the 2010 Democratic primary. Golisano said the reforms the Senate adopted should spill over to the Assembly, but he did not sound optimistic that they would be embraced by the longtime speaker.
“Responsible New York, once this thing settles down, will focus on the Assembly,” Golisano said.
When asked whether he would focus on Silver next year, he would say only that the Assembly is ripe for change.
“I think Shelly Silver has served there for 16 years,” Golisano said. “Even if he were doing a good job — and I don’t think he is — it’s time for a change. And the Assembly could use a change.
“It’s time for him to move on.”
Golisano would not say whether Responsible New York would exceed the $4.4 million it spent in legislative races last year, mostly on Senate Democrats. But he promised that he and his organization will remain a factor, despite his new Florida address.
“We intend to stay active,” he said.
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