WESTCHESTER District Attorney Jea nine Pirro has put running against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton "back on the agenda," while former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld is again eyeing the race for governor, GOP leaders said late yesterday.
Pirro, who is expected to announce her political plans Wednesday, has been weighing a race for the Senate, attorney general and even governor in the wake of Gov. Pataki's decision late last month not to run again.
Senior GOP leaders said last week that Pirro had ruled out challenging Clinton, in part because Conservative Party leader Mike Long said Pirro's generally liberal social views would make it difficult for her to get his party's support.
State GOP Finance Chairman James Ortenzio, who is New York County (Manhattan) GOP chairman, also publicly called on Pirro late last week to run for attorney general, a seat being vacated because Eliot Spitzer plans to run for governor.
But Pirro, after several days of weighing her options, is now "leaning towards running for the Senate," said one of the state's best-known Republicans. "Her thinking is that if she does well against Hillary Clinton then she still has a life after the election," said the source. "Run and lose against Hillary, get 40 percent or so, and you're still a star. But if she runs for attorney general and loses, she has nothing in the future."
Insiders said Pirro was also being urged to run for the Senate by several of Pataki's political consultants, who stand to collect large fees from such a contest.