Cuomo Insists He Will Reject Any Offer of Convention Draft

Gov. Mario M. Cuomo, in his strongest statement on the subject, says he will turn down a draft if it is offered at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta.

Over the weekend, the governor moved to scotch a draft movement started on his behalf by former New York Democratic Congressman Richard L. Ottinger. In a letter, Cuomo told Ottinger “not to go forward with your intention to encourage a draft.”

But later, the governor’s press secretary, in a clarification to reporters, said that the governor, while still believing a draft was unhealthy and unlikely, would accept one if it occurred at a deadlocked convention.

Clarified the Matter

Still later, Cuomo clarified the matter himself, announcing for the first time he would turn down a draft if it happened.

“How can I say a draft would be counterproductive, unwise, wrong, and then say I would accept it?” Cuomo asked.

Months earlier, the governor had said he would accept a draft and top aides concurred that it would not jeopardize his duties as governor because the press of state business was negligible during the months between the close of the convention and election day.

It was understood that a major factor in Cuomo’s new thinking was the belief a strong front-runner would emerge by the end of the presidential primaries in June and a nomination of the leader would in all likelihood occur on a first or early ballot.

Emergence of Candidate

Laurence J. Kirwan, New York’s Democratic state chairman, said Monday that the governor had believed since Feb. 19, 1987, when he declared he would not seek the presidency, that the candidate would come from the field of contenders in the primaries.

Kirwan said Cuomo had not changed his mind. The state chairman said that Cuomo long ago had decided it was impossible to be governor and at the same time seek the White House.

Asked what Cuomo would do if the convention became deadlocked, Kirwan replied: “Give the guy a break. Leave it.”

And an aide to Cuomo, asked whether New York’s governor finally was issuing a Shermanesque statement, replied: “Cuomoesque.”

In 1884, Civil War Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman turned down an appeal to draft him as the Republican nominee, declaring: “If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve.”

Gore Finds Nothing New

One of the Democratic contenders in New York’s April 19 primary, Tennessee Sen. Albert Gore Jr., campaigning at the New York Stock Exchange, insisted to reporters that Cuomo’s announcement was nothing new.

The New York governor, Gore told reporters, had already made it “abundantly clear” that he would not enter the race.

“I personally don’t think it’s a big change. . . . I always heard his words clearly. I never thought he was a candidate, because he said he wasn’t a candidate,” Gore said.

Mayor Edward I. Koch had been a strong backer of a possible Cuomo draft at the convention. The mayor said Monday he would now endorse a candidate in the New York primary by the end of the week.

Staff writer Karen Tumulty contributed to this story.