ALBANY — Rick Perry wants to square off with Andrew Cuomo.
The Texas governor challenged Cuomo to a debate on the economy and job creation during a swing through New York on Tuesday.
“I’d be more than happy to sit down and have a thoughtful conversation, a debate with Governor Cuomo over the issues that face us as a state and talk about the economic policies and compare New York to Texas,” Perry said during an interview on an Albany radio show hosted by The Post’s Fred Dicker.
Perry — a possible 2016 presidential candidate — is in New York for the second time in less than a year to poach businesses and raise his national profile. “I go fishing where there are fish,” Perry said.
The Texas governor bashed New York’s job climate during the 20-minute chat.
At one point, Perry sounded sincere in applauding Cuomo for his recent attempts to boost job growth by offering tax breaks for businesses. But he quickly turned that praise into a backhanded compliment by pointing out there was no place to go but up.
The Tax Foundation recently moved New York from 50th to 48th in the ratings of business-friendly states.
In response to Perry’s comments, the Democratic Governors Association pointed out that debating isn’t his forte, as evidenced by previous performances.
“A little free advice for Rick Perry: the fewer debates with anyone, the better,” the Democratic governor suggested.
Before ending the phone interview, Perry offered some genuine compliments to Cuomo for standing up for charter schools.