Cuomo endorses Haber in 7th Senate district race

Gov. Andrew Cuomo appeared in Albertson Monday to  endorse Adam Haber in his race to replacing outgoing state Sen. Jack Martins in the 7th Senate District.
Speaking at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5253 on Searingtown Road, Cuomo spoke about selecting Haber last year for the “unglamorous assignment” of serving on the board of the Nassau Interim Finance Authority, which oversees county spending.
He said that Haber was a “businessman” with an “economic mind” and did a “fantastic job”  on the NIFA board.
“He wanted to make a difference, wanted to get into politics to make a difference, not because he needed it to make a reputation or to make a lot of money,” Cuomo said. “He did it to do the right thing.”
Haber, a Democrat, is running against Republican Elaine Phillips, the Flower Hill Village mayor.
“This is a true honor to be endorsed by an amazing, tough governor who I support,” he said. “He believed in me and appointed me on NIFA to oversee the county.”
Cuomo also endorsed Democrat Todd Kaminsky, who is running against Republican Chris McGrath in the 9th Senate District. The two faced off in a special election in April after the conviction of Dean Skelos, in which Kaminsky won by less than 1,000 votes.
He discussed how he worked with Kaminsky, who was then a federal prosecutor, when he was attorney general on various corruption cases, including the case against a former state Senate majority leader, Pedro Espada.
“I know that they will be extraordinary as senators serving the people of their districts in Albany,” Cuomo said of  Haber and Kaminsky.
Also at the endorsement rally, the governor discussed his plans to reform ethics in the state Legislature.
Cuomo said he wanted to either reduce or eliminate outside income for state legislators.
“If you look at the problem that’s been recurring time and time again, it’s that too many legislators wear two hats,” he said. “They go to Albany and they’re a legislator and then they go home and they’re a businessman, or they’re a lawyer or they’re a consultant.”
Cuomo also said he would raise salaries for state legislators so they are “paid what they’re worth.”
A Senate Republican spokesman, Scott Reif, was critical of Cuomo’s endorsements of Haber and Kaminsky.
“We’re happy that the governor is helping us shine a light on who these candidates really are because a close examination of their records shows they each would be catastrophic for Long Island,” Reif said.