BUFFALO, N.Y. — There are now four candidates officially vying for the Republican nomination for governor.

They are Rep. Lee Zeldin, former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, Lewis County Sheriff Mike Carpinelli and the latest, Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and a former Trump aide. Giuliani's early campaign promises include reducing crime and kick-starting the state's economy.

"We will cut taxes, and New York will no longer be the highest taxed state in America,” he said. “We will do everything we can to cut red tape and deregulate for all of those small businesses who have been crushed over the last 18 months.”

What You Need To Know

  • There's another candidate in the field of Republicans hoping to challenge Gov. Andrew Cuomo next fall
  • The New York GOP chairman spoke Tuesday about Andrew Giuliani's candidacy and the state of the race
  • Nick Langworthy expects the party to coalesce around one candidate by the convention
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New York State Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy welcomed Giuliani to the race, and said perhaps he can emulate in the state what his father once did in New York City.

"People got acquainted with Andrew when he was a very young man when his father was the mayor," Langworthy said. "But I've gotten to know Andrew in the last several years, his work for the President Trump at the White House. But you know, as he's started to consider this race, I find him to be a very intelligent, articulate, energetic voice in the party."

However, the chair is standing by previous statements that Zeldin is the clear frontrunner due to the endorsements and campaign infrastructure he's already lined up.

"It's incumbent on the other candidates that want to be the nominee to either match or exceed that pace and make up that ground," he said.

Langworthy said the process of multiple candidates working their way across the state, speaking with GOP activists and party leaders, is a vibrant one that will ultimately help build the case against incumbent Democrat Andrew Cuomo. He said part of the messaging for any candidate will be condemning the more than $5 million Cuomo disclosed this week he's set to collect for his book about the pandemic.

"That narrative won't change," Langworthy said. "That is going to define Andrew Cuomo. I don't care what we have to do, but every man, woman and child will understand that story by the end of the next election."

He said he expects the party to coalesce around one candidate by the convention.

"I think a primary would be a very foolish expenditure of resources when we should be focusing on the one party Democratic rule that is single-handedly destroying New York state day by day," Langworthy said.

He said the party will reconvene at the end of June to assess the state of the race.