Ex-GOP Official Challenges Giuliani on Right
A former Republican congressman joined the race for Senate on Monday, endangering Rudolph W. Giuliani’s grasp on conservative votes that have kept the New York City mayor neck-and-neck with Hillary Rodham Clinton in the polls.
“Right now, they’re popping the champagne corks at Clinton campaign headquarters,” GOP consultant and television commentator Jay Severin said Monday after former Rep. Joseph DioGuardi announced his candidacy.
Clinton spokeswoman Karen Dunn said the campaign had no comment.
In announcing his candidacy, DioGuardi said he would seek the Conservative, Right to Life and Independence party nominations for the November ballot. No Republican has won a statewide race without Conservative Party support since 1974.
“It’s not that Giuliani isn’t conservative enough; he’s not conservative at all,” DioGuardi said. He said his decision had nothing to do with the mayor’s announcement last week that he has prostate cancer.
Giuliani, who has said he would decide by the end of the month whether to continue his campaign in light of his cancer diagnosis, said Monday he was pretty confident he would win a Conservative Party primary.
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
