ALBANY - The Republican Party is coalescing behind a slate of candidates to take on New York's statewide officeholders.
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro has all but locked up the Republican nod for governor, clearing the way for him to take on Gov. Andrew Cuomo or fellow Democrat Cynthia Nixon this fall.
But there are three other statewide offices up for grabs this November, all of which are currently held by Democrats.
They face an uphill climb: New York has 5.6 million active enrolled Democrats and 2.6 million Republicans, according to the state Board of Elections. Republicans have not won a statewide seat since 2002.
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Aside from Molinaro, are the other candidates the Republican Party is coalescing behind:
Manny Alicandro (Attorney General)
Manny Alicandro, a corporate attorney from Manhattan, launched his bid for attorney general on Monday.
He's the only announced candidate to take on state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a Democrat who has focused much of his second term on taking on President Donald Trump's agenda in the courts.
Alicandro is a private attorney who has worked for NASDAQ and JPMorgan over the years before heading out on his own with a practice "focusing on digital assets and cryptocurrency markets," according to his campaign.
In a statement Monday, Alicandro accused Schneiderman of politicizing the attorney general's office in an effort to raise his profile with liberals nationally.
“I am running for attorney general because I am fed up with the status quo, and I know that we can do better and that New Yorkers deserve better legal representation than they have been getting," Alicandro said.
The Republican Party will officially nominate its attorney general candidate May 23 at its convention in Manhattan.
Chele Chiavacci Farley (U.S. Senator)
The Republican seeking to unseat Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand? It's Chele Chiavacci Farley, a finance executive in Manhattan.
Farley is managing director of Mistral Capital International, a private-equity firm where she oversees investments.
She was also the New York City finance director for the state Republican Party prior to launching her bid to unseat Gillibrand, who is seeking her second full term.
The state Republican Party officially made Farley its candidate in March.
"Chele will bring an ability, fire, and conviction to the U.S. Capitol that has been sorely lacking from Senator Kirsten Gillibrand," state Republican Chairman Ed Cox said in a March statement.
When Farley launched her bid for office earlier this year, Gillibrand spokesman Glenn Caplin said the senator has a "record in the U.S. Senate fighting for New York families" and "always encourages women to run for office, even when she doesn't agree with their pro-Trump or anti-choice views."
Jonathan Trichter (Comptroller)
This much we do know: The winner of the race for state comptroller will be a Democrat.
How do we know that? Because the Republican Party is set to nominate a Democrat for its line.
Jonathan Trichter, a Democratic campaign operative from Manhattan, will likely get the GOP's nomination for comptroller at the May 23 convention.
He will take on incumbent Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, a Long Island Democrat who has held the position since 2007.
Trichter worked on the campaign of Harry Wilson, a Scarsdale business-turnaround expert who took on DiNapoli in 2010.
He's painted DiNapoli as part of the Albany status quo, noting DiNapoli was appointed to the position by Assembly Democrats in 2007. (DiNapoli has since been elected to two full terms.)
"I don't have any friends in Albany," Trichter said when he announced his bid last month.
"I will use the powers of the Comptroller to protect ordinary New Yorkers."
In a statement last month, DiNapoli spokesman Doug Forand touted the comptroller's record, saying he has fought for more transparency on corporate boards and pushed to protect retirees' pensions.
"He's looking forward to a robust campaign to put his record against any opponent and we'll let the voters decide," Forand said.
