Rudy Giuliani is expected to announce today that he will not run for Senate in 2010 against appointed Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a blow for Republican recruitment efforts after Giuliani had consistently led Gillibrand in the polls.
Giuliani will also endorse former Rep. Rick Lazio for governor, after having contemplated that race earlier this year — an interesting turn of events, considering how Lazio became the 2000 nominee for Senate against Hillary Clinton after Giuliani had dropped out of that race, too.
The polls have shown that Gillibrand remains a largely unknown quantity with the voters, and faces a potential primary challenge from outgoing New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson, who came closer to victory than anybody had expected in his 2009 race for mayor. But without Rudy Giuliani, the Republicans have lost their biggest name in a state where they don’t have much of a bench to speak of anymore.
