Campaign For Lieutenant Governor
Weld announced his selection of Secretary Jacobs as a running mate on May 31, 2006, the opening day of the Republican State Convention on Long Island. Weld's choice of Secretary Jacobs was considered a surprise, since Secretary Jacobs is not well known statewide. Prior to Weld's announcement, newspapers speculated that Weld would either choose Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks or Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray for lieutenant governor.
Weld said he selected Secretary Jacobs because of Jacobs' work on education issues and upstate economic development. He said he wanted highlight economic development in upstate New York during his campaign and Secretary Jacobs' background in Buffalo would be a benefit. In addition, he praised Secretary Jacobs' education advocacy. Weld praised Secretary Jacobs for being an "Albany outsider" and that the two were "strangers to the halls of Albany.'" Weld had previously been governor of Massachusetts, while Secretary Jacobs' family owns the Boston Bruins. At the time he was selected as Weld's running mate, Secretary Jacobs had been serving as secretary of state for six weeks.
Following his selection by Weld, newspapers reported that Secretary Jacobs had switched in the late 1990s from being a Republican to being a Democrat. He then switched back to the Republican Party a year later. Secretary Jacobs indicated he made the party switch for personal and not political reasons. In addition, newspapers reported that in the summer of 2004, Secretary Jacobs donated $250 to the gubernatorial campaign of Democratic State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. Secretary Jacobs said he made the donation before Weld announced that he was running for governor and now supported Weld for governor.
The week before Secretary Jacobs' selection by Weld, former Assembly Minority Leader John Faso announced his selection of Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef as his running mate. Secretary Jacobs faced Vanderhoef during the Republican State Convention to be designated to be on the September primary ballot for lieutenant governor. The third candidate, Tim Demler, supervisor of the Town of Wheatfield, withdrew, during the convention, for the good of the party to try and avoid a divisive primary. Demler had been running for lieutenant governor independent of any candidate for governor.
The state convention placed both Secretary Jacobs and Vanderhoef on the primary ballot by a voice vote. The convention also designated Faso for governor over Weld, but gave Weld a spot on the primary ballot. Though he announced that he and Secretary Jacobs would launch their primary campaign with a statewide bus tour starting in Buffalo, on June 6, Weld dropped out of the governor's race and endorsed Faso.
On June 8, Secretary Jacobs announced he was withdrawing from the lieutenant governor's race and backed Vanderhoef.
Read more about this topic: Christopher Jacobs (politician)
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