The issue of potential rules changes to help Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy get on the ballot at the state GOP convention next month reportedly did not come up at last week’s Ft. Orange Club meeting, but the topic of the order in which candidates will be nominated was broached.

Two attendees at the meeting confirmed the possibility of moving up the gubernatorial vote, which is traditionally held on the last day of the convention, was discussed.

Party leaders even debated holding the vote to decide on their standard bearer on the very first day they gather at the Sheraton in Manhattan – June 1 – with down-ballot races like AG and state comptroller bumped to the second or even third day.

This immediate touched off a round of furious speculation as to the intentions of state GOP Chairman Ed Cox, who is Levy’s biggest backer.

Some (mostly Levy backers) speculated Cox is still hoping for a eleventh-hour deal in which Lazio would clear the way for Levy by dropping his bid for governor to become the party’s nominee for AG. (If the governor’s vote is held first, the thinking goes; Lazio would still have options later on in the convention).

Others (OK, Lazio supporters) suggested what’s really going on here is a recognition by Cox and Levy supporters that county executive won’t make it to the 50 percent-plus-one threshold and will need to be tapped to run for some other office as a sort of consolation prize.

State GOP spokesman Alex Carey insisted neither of those scenarios are the case, although he did confirm a shuffling of the convention order is being considered.

Carey said the main issue is timing (apparently, the Sheraton needs the room the GOP is using on the afternoon of the third day) and a desire to spread out the excitement, so to speak. He also noted that all but one of the statewide offices (comptroller, for which the only announced candidate is Harry Wilson) are contested and there needs to be time for all the candidates to have their say.

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