Sources confirm POLITICO’s report that the leadership of the Queens GOP is mulling switching its support from Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy to the latest entry into the Republican gubernatorial battle: Former LG contender M. Myers Mermel.

It appears party chairman, Phil Ragusa, and the portion of the party that he controls is about to turn its back on Levy – and, in the process, snub the county executive’s most prominent supporter, state GOP Chairman Ed Cox.

There is a segment of the party that is at odds with Ragusa and supporting Rick Lazio for governor. According to Lazio’s camp, this part of the Queens party is remaining loyal to the former Long Island congressman.

UPDATE1: I reached NYC Councilman Eric Ulrich, a Queens Republican who has endorsed Lazio, and he said he hadn’t heard anything about the Levy-Mermel flip by Ragusa et al, but added: “This is yet another example that for some people, everything is for sale.”

I reached Mermel on his cell phone just now (in between interviews while on the “Capital Tonight” set). He declined comment.

UPDATE2: Apparently, Queens isn’t the only county where there are defections. Earlier today, Mermel sent out a press release announcing the “personal endorsements of Republican Committee Chair Philip Barnes in Schuyler County and Hermiker County Chair Sylvia Rowan.”

Barnes had previously been with Levyand Herkimer was with Lazio.

UPDATE3: Jimmy Vielkind notes on CapConf that Mermel says he also has the support of Cortland County, putting his (extremely theoretical) weighted convention vote tally at 5.21 percent.

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