Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy called in this afternoon to “nip in the bud” speculation that has been building over the past week or so that he is being encouraged by some GOP leaders to drop out of the governor’s race as it appears he lacks sufficient support to get onto the ballot at the convention.

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“It’s totally untrue; it’s ridiculous,” said Levy, adding: “We’re in it all the way. We’re down on the ten-yard line. We expect to bring it over the goal line…I switched parties; I put my neck on the line. Why in the world would I stop now?”

Levy blamed his opponents, whom he deemed “desperate candidates creating mischief” and trying for a “Hail Mary” in advance of the convention, and also rejected my suggestion that he has been AWOL from the campaign trail of late.

He insisted the only event he skipped was the state Conservative Convention, which he saw “no purpose in going to” because Rick Lazio was the clear favorite of Chairman Mike Long.

“We’re as gung-ho as we’ve ever been,” Levy continued. “This is to be expected by candidates who want to place doubt in the minds of our supporters so they switch, but that’s not going to happen. They’re all solidly behind us.”

Despite M. Myers Mermel’s success in wooing away some of Levy’s support – the most significant defection occurring in the (already fractured) Queens GOP – the county executive insisted he will easily surpass the 25 percent mark and then get the 50-percent-plus-one necessary for a Wilson Pakula.

Levy wouldn’t comment on the potential rules switch that would put the Wilson Pakula vote before the nomination vote on Wednesday morning, saying: “I don’t even know if that’s legal to do.”

I asked what he will do if he doesn’t manage to get onto the ballot and he replied with a laugh: “I’ll go back to being county executive.”

(Of course, his local universe will be dramatically changed as he heads into a re-election campaign given his flirtation with the GOP, although the party switch won’t be official until after November).

Levy had previously refused to rule out the possibility that he would petition his way onto the ballot, creating a wholly new party. But he downplayed that today, also noting the Independence Party line, which he had hoped to land, has now gone to Democratic AG Andrew Cuomo.

“We haven’t gotten to that point yet,” Levy replied when I asked about petitioning to create a new minor party. “But we don’t think we’re going to need it. I’m very confident I’m going to get onto the ballot at the convention because I’m the one guy who can beat Andrew Cuomo.”

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