With all the attention being paid to the GOP battles for the gubernatorial and US Senate nominations, the fact that the party still has no state attorney general candidate has gone largely unmentioned, but that might be able to change.

A source close to Staten Island DA Dan Donovan, who started calling Republican and Conservative leaders last week to say he had decided to seek the post AG Andrew Cuomo is poised to give up, said he is putting the pieces together for a statewide campaign kick-off tour that would take place within the next week to 10 days.

Donovan is likely to the be the odds-on favorite for both Row B and Row D. He might even land Mayor Bloomberg’s endorsement. (The mayor counts among his close political allies former Staten Island BP Guy Molinari, for whom Donovan used to serve as chief of staff).

Meanwhile, one of the state GOP’s regional vice chairs, Jay Dutcher (Ontario County), is urging his fellow chairs and state GOP leader Ed Cox to consider calling for Onondaga County Comptroller Bob Antonacci to end his bid for state comptroller and run for AG instead, clearing the field for Harry Wilson to take on Democratic state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

“Bob Antonacci, as the elected Onondaga County Comptroller is most obviously a CPA, but he is also an attorney,” Dutcher wrote in an e-mail obtained by NY1′s Erin Billups, which appears in full after the jump.

“He is the type of candidate that should be encouraged by our party to seek statewide office. While Harry has earned a place on the ticket as Comptroller, let’s consider Bob for another position, where we currently have no declared candidates. I would encourage you to consider Bob Antonacci for Attorney General.”

“Many of you have met Bob at the regional screenings, so you know him. Those of you who have yet to meet him, I think you will be impressed. He is thoughtful, professional, knowledgeable, with strong convictions but also a team player.”

Antonacci was recently in Albany to meet with Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb and Sen. John DeFrancisco. He told me he has nothing against Wilson, but questioned whether the former hudge fund manager and newcomer to GOP politics would be able to make sufficient inroads among the party rank-and-file to get 25 percent of the weighted convention vote.

Wilson, who is formally kicking off his campaign on May 15 in front of the now-defunct Johnston sewing factory where his mother worked when he was young, has been steadily collecting endorsements from county chairs. Today, in what the Wilson campaign billed as “an unprecedented show of unity” the Ulster County Republican, Conservative and Independence Party committees all announced support for the would-be comptroller.

Here’s the full text of Dutcher’s e-mail:

“Chairman Cox and Fellow Vice Chairs,

I would like us to consider a change of direction for a candidate that many of us have met, but who may be currently in the wrong race.

After thinking about the idea below for a few days, and speaking with John DeSpirito, I wanted to engage each of you.

Bob Antonacci has been seeking support to run for State Comptroller. I believe he is a fine candidate, with a strong professional and personal background, who has the credentials and desire to make a strong state-wide run. However, as we get closer to the convention, we all know choices have to be made, and the delegates as a collective body can only support one candidate.

Harry Wilson has made a good case, is receiving numerous endorsements around the state, and will be a strong Republican candidate for Comptroller.

Bob Antonacci, as the elected Onondaga County Comptroller is most obviously a CPA, but he is also an attorney. He is the type of candidate that should be encouraged by our party to seek statewide office. While Harry has earned a place on the ticket as Comptroller, let’s consider Bob for another position, where we currently have no declared candidates.

I would encourage you to consider Bob Antonacci for Attorney General. Many of you have met Bob at the regional screenings, so you know him. Those of you who have yet to meet him, I think you will be impressed. He is thoughtful, professional, knowledgeable, with strong convictions but also a team player.

I look forward to discussing this opportunity with you in more detail at our meeting on 14 May.

Very respectfully,

Jay Dutcher
Finger Lakes – Genesee”

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