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Trump Toys With Gubernatorial Run, Again

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Donald Trump has suggested that he would run for political office a record seven times, although he has never actually launched a campaign.
Donald Trump has suggested that he would run for political office a record seven times, although he has never actually launched a campaign.
Donald Trump is at it again, flirting with the notion of a gubernatorial run in New York State. And, according to Business Week, he is telling anyone who will listen that he can beat Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) in next November’s election.

But before he runs, Business Insider reported, Trump wants New York Republicans to court him as their candidate.

“We’ll see what happens. If we get a unified party — a unified, New York State party — No. 1, I would run. And No. 2, I think I would win,” Trump recently announced.

This isn’t the first time Trump has toyed with running for public office. In fact, according to Business Insider, this most recent announcement marks the seventh time Trump has considered the idea.

However, Business Insider has noted that not one of Trump’s previous announcements of running for office, as with “the presidency in 1988, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012, and with New York’s governorship in 2006, led to an actual campaign.”

But that didn’t stop The Donald from being the keynote speaker on Wednesday, February 12 at the New York County Republican Committee’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner, where he spoke about what he might do if he were governor.

The Manhattan GOP reportedly raised about $60,000 from the dinner, as hundreds showed up at the event to hear Trump speak.

Still, not many attendees took his political aspirations seriously. Donor Oskar Weg told Business Insider that Trump was more of a “provocateur than a candidate.”

“That’s the million-dollar question,” another donor said, when asked if he thought Trump would run. “Well, I guess if you’d have bet on ‘no’ all the other times, you’d be rich.”

For now, Trump emphasized during his speech at the event that he would need “party unity” if he did indeed follow through and actually run for office, which Business Insider said would not include a primary.

Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino recently announced his intention to form an exploratory committee for governor. Business Insider reports that Astorino “is believed to have the backing of state party leaders, including state party chair Ed Cox. Trump confirmed that fact Wednesday night — albeit in a roundabout way. “

“The Republican leadership has come to my office on numerous occasions. They were there today,” Trump said.

“Virtually all of them want me to do it, other than Ed Cox, who doesn’t know how to win. He’s never won anything, so he doesn’t know how to win, and I guess he hasn’t made up his mind. But we’ll see what happens.”

A Quinnipiac poll released the morning after the Trump event showed that Cuomo leads both candidates. He leads Trump 63-26 and Astorino 58-24 in theoretical races. His approval rating is a steady 63%, and 59% of New Yorkers say he deserves re-election.

Still, Trump teases.

“If they want me, and if they go to the convention and ask me to do it, I would do it,” he said. “And I believe I’d win.”

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