The bitter political battle between Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rudy Giuliani ended yesterday, capping a campaign in which the two leaders competed with one another to help elect like-minded candidates.
For the twin emblems of the Democratic and Republican parties – and sugardaddies for struggling candidates – it was a surprisingly low-key end to a contest in which Giuliani raised money for GOPers in more than a dozen key states and Clinton’s HILLPAC handed out $604,000 to Democrats this year alone.
Last night, Giuliani did some last-minute campaigning for Andrew Aristoff, a state Senate candidate, at a subway station and planned to join Gov. Pataki for a celebration later. Giuliani also was hosting his own private political party.
Sen. Clinton and former President Bill Clinton spent part of the day making phone calls to radio stations, urging voters to cast their ballots.
Around midday, they voted and spent some time at home before heading out to visit the campaign of Carl McCall, along with other prominent Democrats.
Sen. Clinton planned on visiting the parties of state Senate candidate Liz Krueger, Comptroller Alan Hevesi and Eliot Spitzer, the state’s attorney general.
In the weeks and months leading up to the election, both Clintons made appearances for fellow Democrats and lent their names to fund-raisers here and elsewhere.
But it was Sen. Clinton whose political action committee emerged as a powerful force on its own, allowing her to reach into far more individual campaigns where she earned chits should she ever stage a national campaign.
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BATTLE OF THE KINGMAKERS
Whose endorsement counted most in this election, Rudy Giuliani’s or Hillary Clinton’s?
Rudy Giuliani
Senate
Wayne Allard, Colo.
Lamar Alexander, Tenn.
Saxby Chambliss, Ga.
Norm Coleman, Minn.
Susan Collins, Maine
Elizabeth Dole, Maine
Doug Forrester, N.J.
Lindsey Graham, S.C.
Tim Hutchinson, Ark.
Mitch McConnell, Ky.
Bob Smith, N.H.
John Sununu, N.H.
Jim Talent, Mo.
John Thune, S.D.
Governor
Jeb Bush, Fla.
Bob Ehrlich, Md.
Mike Fisher, Pa.
Linda Lingle, Hawaii
George Pataki, N.Y.
Mitt Romney, Mass.
John Rowland, Conn.
Bob Taft, Ohio
Bill Simon, Calif.
Van Hilleary, Tenn.
Rick Perry, Tex.
*
Hillary Clinton
Senate
Bill Bradbury, Ore.
Jean Carnahan, Mo.
Bob Clement, Tenn.
Richard Durbin, Ill.
John Kerry, Mass.
Carl Levin, Mich.
Chellie Pingree, Maine
Tom Strickland, Colo.
David Walters, Okla.
Paul Wellstone, Minn. *
Governor
Rod Blagojevich, Ill.
Bill Curry, Conn.
Gray Davis, Calif.
Jimmie Lou Fisher, Ark.
Jennifer Granholm, Mich.
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Md.
Bill McBride, Fla.
Carl McCall, N.Y.
Shannon O’Brien, Mass.
Tim Vilsack, Iowa
* Deceased, replaced by former Sen. Walter Mondale