New York counts!
For the first time in more than a decade, the state’s Republican voters will play a crucial role in selecting the party’s presidential nominee.
This year’s brawl of a primary has prevented a single candidate from emerging as the hands-down winner after Super Tuesday — as is often the case by the time New York holds its April 24 vote.
For New York Republicans, the delay in settling on a candidate is a chance to bask in the political sunshine.
“We thought our April 24 primary could be a crucial one, and it’s turning out that way,” said state Republican Party chairman Ed Cox.
The last contested New York primary took place in 2000, when George W. Bush narrowly beat back a strong challenge from John McCain.
Cox said new rules that change the distribution of GOP convention delegates from winner-take-all to a proportional haul based on the number of state districts a candidate wins has made it more difficult for a front-runner to seal the deal early.
Only a handful of states still have winner-take-all primaries.
Coming into New York, with 95 delegates, a Siena poll yesterday gave Mitt Romney a 38-23 percent lead over Rick Santorum.
But Santorum’s support has jumped 10 points since the last poll a month ago, the Siena Research Institute reported.
Romney will come into New York with the largest contingent of supporters on the ground and a well-worn path to the state’s campaign donors.
Former Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari — serving as Romney’s New York field general — said the campaign is taking nothing for granted. Captains have been assigned to each of the state’s 29 congressional districts.
“It’s 29 races. We have to watch each and every one of them,” Molinari said.
Former Gov. George Pataki yesterday endorsed Romney, citing the ex-Massachusetts governor’s strong Super Tuesday performance.
“Mitt showed . . . he has the breadth of support that warrants our rallying around. We’ve been mired in the trenches shooting at each other, and it has to stop,” Pataki told Fox News.
Former Pennsylvania senator Santorum is confident he can connect with blue-collar upstate voters. He’s also counting on strong support from anti-abortion and Tea Party activists.
Republican insiders said New York GOP voters have swung to the right in recent years — pointing to Tea Party favorite Carl Paladino’s blowout victory over establishment candidate Rick Lazio in the GOP gubernatorial primary in 2010.