Mike Conners is a Republican

From the Albany Times-Union
Section: CAPITAL REGION
Page: B1
Date: Saturday, July 24, 2004
LAZARUS OR DEAD MAN WALKING?
BRIAN NEARING Staff writer

The conversion of Albany County Comptroller Michael Conners, whose family's Democratic roots in North Albany stretch back a century, into a Republican started Monday with a telephone call from a former aide to Rep. John Sweeney. In less than a week, it was done, with Conners sealing the deal Thursday to take the GOP endorsement against incumbent Democratic state Sen. Neil Breslin over a cellphone while watching a Red Sox game in Fenway Park.

Gleeful Republicans welcomed Conners into the fold Friday, while stunned Democrats warned he is taking a gamble he cannot win in a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1. Conners, rebuffed last week by Democratic party leaders over his bid for a state Assembly seat, countered that his party had abandoned him, not the other way around.

Whether he wins or loses, Conners, whose father was legendary Democratic Assemblyman Dick Conners and whose grandfather, Michael, was both a Democratic city alderman and county coroner, will change his enrollment to Republican after the election, he said.

``It's sad the way the Democratic Party has drifted,'' Conners said. ``Long before today, my father would have been dismayed at the things that have happened. ... He would understand what I've done.'' It was the view that Conners had been mistreated by his party that attracted Brendan Quinn, a former state GOP committee executive director and aide to Sweeney.

Quinn spoke with Sweeney about approaching Conners after the aborted Assembly bid. On Monday, he offered Conners the GOP endorsement against Breslin, a rival who backed Alan Maikels against Conners in a bitter Democratic primary last year in the comptroller's race.

``I was absolutely shocked. I was politically dead on Monday and I'm back on Friday. Now I know how Lazarus felt,'' Conners said. Sweeney spokesman Demetrius Karoatsos said Quinn was ``not affiliated'' with Sweeney's office, although he worked for the congressman in the past. He referred further questions to Quinn. The congressman's campaign committee paid Quinn, who was Sweeney's successor as state GOP executive director, $40,000 last year for consulting services, according the Opensecrets.org, a campaign contributions Web site run by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings, one of Conners' closet political allies, said Conners wasn't victimized by county Democratic leaders' last-minute refusal to lend or give him $17,000 to pay for a poll of the 109th Assembly District. The state Democratic Campaign Committee required the poll before deciding to lend Conners its support.
``I never had anything to do with the $17,000. I'm not on the (party's) executive committee,'' Jennings said. ``Mike is a lifelong friend. I wouldn't want to see him get hurt by his criticism of party leadership. The party didn't abandon him.''

[snip]

On Tuesday, Conners got another telephone call from a Republican supporter, this one from John Graziano Jr., former GOP leader of the County Legislature. What convinced Conners to change parties was the promise of substantial campaign cash, through the state Senate Campaign Committee and state committee.

[snip]

State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno is prepared to open his war chest to help Conners. ``We're going to be supportive in whatever it takes within our means and resources to help communicate with the public,'' Bruno said Friday.

``I will have more resources than I ever dreamed of,'' Conners said, immediately referring to to the 1996 Senate campaign in which Republican Michael Hoblock spent more than $500,000 to win the seat.
[Snip]

Mike Conners. Republican. Does he believe in Republican philosophy or was he bought with Republican money? Or both?