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GOP Comptroller Candidate Says Public Finance A Factor In His Decision

New York State Republicans have picked their candidate for Comptroller, he’s the Onondaga County Comptroller Robert Antonacci. He’ll be the first statewide candidate in New York to rely on public financing to pay for his campaign.

Antonacci, who’s been the Comptroller for the County that includes Syracuse since 2007, says he’d use his skills as a CPA and attorney to scrutinize state spending by the governor and the legislature, and speak out when he sees waste.

Antonacci will be taking advantage of pilot program for public campaign financing approved by Governor Cuomo and the legislature in the state budget.

“My family can’t self-finance a statewide elected race,” Antonacci said. “But for the campaign finance pilot program, I would not be in the race.”

That puts the Comptroller candidate at odds with the views of the leader of the Republicans in the Senate, who’s said it’s a waste of the taxpayers money.

GOP Chair Ed Cox, who says Antonacci is “the most qualified person ever to seek the office”, is not critical of Antonacci’s decision.

“That’s his personal choice,” Cox said.

Cox says the state’s pilot program is different than the New York City public matching donor system that Republicans have opposed.

The incumbent state Comptroller, Tom DiNapoli, has said he won’t participate in the public campaign finance option because the program is badly flawed. Government reform groups agree with DiNapoli’s decision.

Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau chief for New York State Public Radio, a network of public radio stations in New York state. She has covered state government and politics for the network since 1990.