ALBANY — The Working Families Party is talking to a potential gubernatorial candidate who is a close ally of the teachers’ union, sources said.
The minor party has reached out to Diane Ravitch to guage her interest in running for governor — and siphoning votes from Gov. Cuomo, said a source.
Ravitch, 75, is a professor at NYU and the ex-wife of former Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch. She is also in lockstep on most issues with the United Federation of Teachers.
With 72 hours to go before their convention, Ravitch’s name has surfaced after a divide in the party.
The furthest left members–tired of a GOP controlled state senate– are holding Cuomo’s nomination hostage, saying they want him to help Democrats re-take control.
“There are two members of the party, the left and the far left,” said a person with knowledge of the talks.
Some party members are willing to endorse Cuomo if he gets campaign finance reform through the legislature, the source said.
That could be tough to accomplish now that the head of the Conservative Party, Mike Long, warned GOP Senate Leader Dean Skelos he could forget getting its endorsement if he supports Cuomo’s campaign finance plan.