United States Representative Peter T. King, a Republican from Long Island who is known for his independent streak, is quietly exploring the possibility of mounting a bid for governor in two years, according to people close to him.
Mr. King, a congressman for nearly 16 years, representing parts of Nassau and Suffolk Counties, has been in discussions with fund-raisers in the state and with local party leaders in an effort to gauge the support he might have and to begin assembling a statewide political organization, those people said.
In an interview last week, Mr. King, 63, who is running for another term in Congress this year, said he would not decide whether to run for governor until after the fall elections.
But he said he was seriously considering it, contending that there was a leadership vacuum in the state party that had left rank-and-file Republicans demoralized and ideologically adrift.
He described, among other things, a political timidity in the Republican Party that he said was preventing its elected leaders from openly confronting Democrats, who vastly outnumber Republicans in New York, on controversial issues.
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Mr. King's supporters say that he fits the profile needed to help Republicans win a statewide race in New York: a white Republican from the suburbs of New York City who is Roman Catholic with an ethnic background, in his case Irish-American.
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His supporters also say that his record is an asset for any Republican running in a heavily Democratic state like New York. While he opposes abortion rights and supports strong measures to stem illegal immigration, he has been seen as something of a maverick within his own party.
I'm seriously considering starting a Draft King movement because King is exactly who I would want to face in 2010. He'll be able to raise some serious dough, probably enough to scare off other potential GOP contenders, but I'm pretty sure he'd be crushed in the general, despite his rather high profile and name recognition in the state, no matter who the Dem nominee is. I just don't see New York electing an anti-choice GOP nutjob with a penchant for saying absolutely insane things in public in 2010. Period. Plus, we win his House seat and keep it a for a long, long time.
Some may disagree, but i really feel he's our perfect candidate. Oh, please, Santa. I'll be extra good this year. I promise.
