CNBC host Larry Kudlow, who briefly toyed with challenging US Sen. Chuck Schumer this fall, yesterday cheered on a fellow Republican who did take the plunge, David Malpass, urging him on against his Democratic target, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

Malpass, an economist and former Reagan administration official, was on Kudlow’s show to discuss the failure of the New Jersey Legislature to override Gov. Chris Christie’s veto of a millionaire’s tax, which Kudlow referred to as the “move to Florida tax.”

“If David Malpass can get a Senate seat, I could get very bullish on this stock market again,” Kudlow said.

“…I could, I mean, looking at if Christie can do it in New Jersey, Malpass could do it in New York…There is no state that has been more of a fiscal failure than New Jersey, New York is close, and California is close, but New Jersey has been a disaster – 160 takes hikes and they’re saying: Oh, please, one more! It’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard…David Malpass, run David, run!”


Malpass called the Garden State millionaire’s tax defeat a “watershed moment” and said the vote could have national implications. He also lauded Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino for starting to “make the hard choices on spending,” adding:

“I think as long as they stuck to the idea that we’ve spent more money than we have and we can’t raise taxes because that’s going to drive jobs away and businesses away, then there’s going to be a democratic – a small-d democratic – political process that makes better choices on spending. And if only Washington could get that message, I think we’d be in much better shape.”

Malpass, as you’ll recall, is battling the GOP designee, Bruce Blakeman, in a primary for the right to take on Gillibrand in November on Row B.

Former Rep. Joe DioGuardi, who is the Conservative Party’s designee in that race, is trying to petition his way onto the GOP ballot.

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