As Cuomo faces controversies, Reed details thoughts on challenging him

Feb. 24—WASHINGTON — As Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo tried to beat back a host of controversies, Rep. Tom Reed on Wednesday outlined the kind of alternative he would offer if he runs for governor next year — saying he would try to be the same sort of "problem solver" in Albany that he strives to be in the nation's capital.

Detailing his thoughts on a gubernatorial bid in greater depth than ever before, the Republican lawmaker from Corning also told reporters on his weekly conference call that family considerations would play a big role in his decision about whether to run.

Yet when asked repeatedly to discuss his gubernatorial ambitions, Reed appeared happy to do so.

"We've done a tremendous amount of work to change Washington, D.C., with our Problem Solvers Caucus work," said Reed, the Republican co-chair of that group of moderates from both parties. "And there's a lot of people that have come up to me over the last two months in particular and indicated, you know, can we bring that type of governing style, that commitment to reform to Albany?"

Reed said that he would offer a contrast to what he called Cuomo's "my way or the highway" approach to governance.

"I would bring an open-door collaborative approach to it," he said. "I know who I am. I know what I believe in. I'm a proud Republican. But at the same time, I know there's proud Democrats out there that have a different point of view on things, and I'm willing to listen to it. And I'm confident enough in my own makeup that having that dialogue is not something to be threatened by — it's something to be challenged by. And that's the type of leadership I would be offering if we decided to do this."

Reed's comments come as Cuomo, a Democrat expected to run for a fourth term next year, is encountering a lengthening string of controversies. On top of revelations that his administration concealed data about nursing home deaths amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Cuomo on Wednesday faced a sexual harassment allegation from former aide Lindsey Boylan — one that a Cuomo spokeswoman described as "quite simply false."

Even before that latest allegation, Cuomo's standing had fallen with voters in the state. A Marist College poll this week found that the percentage of registered voters who approve of his response to the pandemic had fallen from 72% in July to 54% this month.

Moreover, the poll found that only 42% of New Yorkers said that Cuomo is doing an excellent or good job. Lee M. Miringoff, director of the Marist Poll, said that is comparable to the rating that Cuomo's father, the late Gov. Mario Cuomo, had at this point in his third term in 1993. Mario Cuomo went on to lose his bid for a fourth term to Republican George Pataki.

Still, any Republican will have "an uphill fight" against Cuomo, Miringoff said.

That is partly because Democrats enjoy a 29-point enrollment advantage in New York.

Then again, moderate Republican governors such Larry Hogan of Maryland and Charlie Baker of Massachusetts have repeatedly won gubernatorial elections in heavily Democratic states — and Reed said he's come to know them and would follow their example.

"They've demonstrated that ability to work with Democrats, to be a proud Republican," Reed said. "Bringing my Republican ideology into the room can be a very successful model for states, as well as what we've demonstrated here with the Problem Solvers Caucus in Washington. And so that's my motivation: It's to serve our state in a positive way."

Reed did not set a timeline for when he will decide whether to run for governor, but acknowledged that "the decision has to be made sooner rather than later."

Any Republican aiming to mount a serious campaign for the governorship in New York would have to start early in order to raise money to compete. A Democrat with a national fundraising base, Cuomo amassed a $16.8 million campaign war chest by the end of 2020.

A former Corning mayor first elected to Congress in 2010, Reed vowed during his first campaign that he would serve no more than six full terms in the House — meaning he would have to retire from Congress at the end of next year to keep that commitment.

And while Reed has not ruled out breaking that vow, on Wednesday he ruled out running for the governorship and for reelection to Congress at the same time.

Reed also acknowledged that family considerations will play a role in whether he decides to run for the governorship.

Recalling that last fall, he found a dead rat with a noose around its neck and a brick with his children's names on it on the family's front porch, he said: "That shook our family deeply. And so, as we look at obviously a high-profile race such as the governor's race and what that would take and the impact on my family, that is a paramount concern of mine to make sure the family concerns are addressed, and that we are united as a family to take on this effort."

Reed is one of three Republican House members — along with Rep. Elise Stefanik of the North Country and Rep. Lee Zeldin of Long Island — who are believed to be considering bids against Cuomo.

The Cuomo camp has been dismissive of a Reed bid. Richard Azzopardi, a top aide to Cuomo, said earlier this month: "Reed acts like a moderate at home while he spent the Trump years plotting to take away health care coverage from his own constituents and failing to stand up to the administration that actively sought to hurt New York at every turn."

Reed — who has been lacerating Cuomo on one issue after another for more than two years — lately has led the effort for a federal investigation into how Cuomo handled the nursing home issue amid the pandemic.

But Reed acknowledged that Cuomo likely will remain a formidable force.

"I recognize Governor Cuomo is the Goliath," Reed said. "I'm just a simple country lawyer from Western New York that just still believes that you can make a difference."

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