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NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Thursday, July 27, 2017, 6:27 PM

ALBANY A former one-term state senator who had the backing of Mayor de Blasio is considering challenging Gov. Cuomo from the left in the Democratic primary next year.

Terry Gipson represented Dutchess and Putnam counties for two years before losing his re-election bid in 2014 to Republican Sue Serino.

The involvement of de Blasio and his fund-raising operation in the race caught the attention of investigators, who looked into whether they skirted campaign contribution laws. Ultimately, the offices of the Manhattan U.S. Attorney and the Manhattan District Attorney declined to bring charges even as they raised ethical questions.

Gipson, who lost a rematch to Serino in 2016, has been critical on social media of Cuomo on a host of issues, including his handling of the mass transit crisis. He is said to have been reaching out to liberal groups about a potential primary run.

Voters blame Gov. Cuomo for city's subway troubles: poll

One Democratic insider called Gipson a two-time loser who never even broke 50% in his own community. The one time he won it was a three-way race.

While Cuomo has faced public criticism from many in the left wing of the Democratic Party, the insider noted a recent Siena College poll found the two-term governor is still strong among self-described liberals. The poll found 68% of liberals have a favorable view of Cuomo. And by a 54% to 37% margin, liberals said they are prepared to re-elect Cuomo in 2018.

Cuomo faced a surprising strong primary challenge in 2014 from liberal Fordham Law Prof. Zephyr Teachout, who captured about a third of the vote but has said she does not intend to run again in 2018.

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Upstate Democrat Terry Gipson mulls 2018 run against Cuomo - New York Daily News