Voter's Guide 2010: The Candidates

Here is a final summary of the major party candidates for 2010 Election Day on Nov. 2.

New York State Governor:

D – Andrew Cuomo: As New York Attorney General, Cuomo investigated the state pension fund, the student loan industry and Wall Street corruption. As governor, Cuomo says he will consolidate state government and focus on revitalizing New York by bringing in new jobs. Republican opponent Carl Paladino and others blame Cuomo's expansion of mortgage loans when he was secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Clinton for fueling the housing crisis.

R – Carl Paladino: Paladino defeated Rick Lazio and pushed out Suffolk County's own Steve Levy for the Republican nomination. The focus of Paladino's campaign is overhaul in Albany. He says he plans to declare a fiscal state of emergency and will cut the state budget by 10 to 20 percent by freezing compensation of state employees, among other budget trimming measures. Paladino, a lawyer and businessman from Buffalo, has faced controversy during the campaign, accused of sending explicit e-mails and making offensive statements towards the homosexual community.

U.S. Senate

D – Sen. Charles Schumer: Schumer, New York's senior senator, was elected in 1998. Prior to being elected Senator, Schumer spent nearly 20 years in the House of Representatives. His voting record includes support for measures that discourage offshoring of American jobs, the creation of the Small Business Lending Fund Program, and the health care public option (which he drafted).

R – Jay Townsend: Townsend is a businessman who formed The Townsend Group, an advertising agency based in Orange County, in 1993. He has lashed out against what he has called "the Obama spending spree" and has been an outspoken critic of the recent health care plan supported by Schumer. If elected, Townsend has said he plans to vote to repeal it.

U.S. Senate

D – Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: Gillibrand says job creation and economic development are her highest priorities. She voted in February to support the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and supported measures that provide tax cuts for middle class families. She also believes in increased access to healthcare, controlling medical costs, and she supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the so-called public healthcare option.

R – Joseph DioGuardi: DioGuardi believes government spending is out of control and is running on a platform of fiscal responsibility and budget reform. He also supports increased access to healthcare and controlling medical costs, but does not believe it should be legislated. Instead he believes that it should be accomplished within the private sector.

Attorney General

D - Eric T. Schneiderman, Democrat, Working Families party lines:  Schneiderman received his Bachelor's degree from Amherst College, where he majored in English and Asian studies.  His law degree is from Harvard Law School.  He served as Deputy Sheriff in Berkshire County, Massachusetts and from there went on serve as an anti-crime, anti-drug advocate as an attorney and in the New York State Senate, getting elected in 1998.

R - Dan Donovan, Republican, Conservative party lines:   A Staten Island District Attorney, Donovan received his Bachelor's degree from St. John's University, where he majored in Criminal Justice. He received his law degree from Fordham University Law School.  He was a prosecutor for eight years in Manhattan and served as a Staten Island Borough President in 2002.

State Comptroller

D - Thomas DiNapoli, Democrat, Working Families party lines:  A Nassau County resident, DiNapoli became state comptroller in 2007.  In 1972, when he was elected to the Mineola Board of Education, he was only 18 years old.  He then served in the New York State Assembly for 20 years. He has also been an adjunct professor and a manager in the telecommunications industry. DiNapoli earned his Bachelor's degree from Hofstra University with a major in History. He received his Master's degree Management and Urban Policy from The New School University.

R- Harry Wilson, Republican, Independence, Conservative party lines:  Harry Wilson, a native of Johnstown, New York, has been comptroller for Goldman Sachs, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, The Blackstone Group, and Silver Point Capital. Wilson was the only Republican to serve on the President's Auto Task Force, where he advised both Presidents Bush and Obama on how to proceed with the overhaul of General Motors. He was opposed the corporate bailout of car company Chrysler.  Wilson is married with four children and lives in Westchester.

U.S. Congress (New York State's 3rd District)

D - Howard Kudler:  Kudler moved to Merrick 10 years ago from Queens.  He has two sons with his wife, who is an attorney.  Kudler holds a bachelor's degree from SUNY-New Paltz and a master's degree from St. John's University with a certificate in international law and affairs. If elected, Kudler, who captured 38 percent of the vote in his first run for office in 2008 against Assemblyman Dave McDonough, said he will also fight to bring jobs back to Long Island and work to bring military troops home.

R - Peter King:   King is a graduate of St. Francis College and the University of Notre Dame Law School. He is a lifelong resident of New York and has lived in Nassau County for more than 40 years. King and his wife, Rosemary, reside in Seaford. They have two adult children and two grandchildren. The three biggest issues facing the 3rd Congressional District, according to King, are jobs, taxes and terrorism. It is that last issue, though, that has put King in the media spotlight for years.

State Senate

4th District

R- Owen Johnson (West babylon): Johnson, 81, is running for his 20th term as state senator.  First elected in 1972, Johnson has chaired the Finance Committee and has also served  as a member of the NYS Public Authorities Control Board and Legislative Audit Committee.  His main concern is to reduce government spending and says NYS is at an all-time economic low.  "We have to restore economic vitality in the state," he said.  "We can't continue spending like we have.  I think it's time to wake up."

D- Maeghan Lollo (West Babylon): On the opposite side of the experience spectrum is Lollo, 33.  She's making her first run for state senate and is currently a Town of Islip attorney.

New York State Assembly

8th  District

R - Philip Boyle (Bay Shore):  Boyle, 49, is best known as being one of the most fiscally conservative members of the New York State Legislature and his main issues consistently revolve around the effort to reduce government spending in Albany. Boyle, who served in the Assembly from 1994-2002 before being re-elected again in 2006, sees a lot of corruption and dysfunction in Albany.  "That's why I support giving Albany the strongest ethics laws in the entire country," he said.  Lowering school property taxes has always been a main objective of his also.  He says that the government continues to implement unfunded mandates, which put a higher tax burden on residents.

D- Janice Sweet (Babylon): Sweet, 51, is making her  first run for the NY Assembly office.  She currently serves as an attorney for the Suffolk Off-Track Betting Corporation. Her main issues include environmental protection and ethics reform.

9th District

R- Andrew Raia (East Northport): Andrew Raia, 42, is coming to the end of his fourth term as the 9th District Assemblyman and still feels he has a lot left to accomplish.  "One of my main purposes is going to Albany and getting many of my colleagues to understand that we're not all rich here on Long Island, that we have some of the highest taxes in the country, and therefore, we deserve our fair share of government funding," he said.   Some of the areas Raia would like to see that funding applied to is education. He is also opposed to tax increases, and is in favor of Medicaid reform.

D- Christopher Dempsey (Greenlawn): Dempsey, 55, is making his first bid for public office.  He has worked in the customer service department for the Off-Track Betting Corporation for many years.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 2. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.  Click here to find your polling location.