Dislike of de Blasio or Skelos could help decide NYS Senate race

The Democrats, meanwhile, are trying to tie GOP candidate Chris McGrath to Skelos, whose seat became vacant after he was convicted in December on federal corruption charges.

“Whoever is more successful in establishing the boogeyman might win—irrespective of the quality of the candidates,” said Baruch College Public Affairs Prof. Doug Muzzio.

McGrath in a new ad charges that if Kaminsky wins, “Bill de Blasio will be picking the pockets of each and every family in this district and on Long Island.”

Even before the ad was released, Kaminsky spokesman Evan Thies was telling the Daily News that Kaminsky’s ideology is closer to the more moderate Gov. Cuomo, who also happens to be more popular than the mayor in Nassau County.

He supported a Cuomo-backed bill to improve disability pensions for uniformed workers over a more modest version the mayor sought and wrote to the city ripping a plan to place homeless people at a Queens hotel located near the Nassau County border with zero public outreach, Thies said.

Senate Republicans, who used de Blasio as a boogeyman two years ago in races across the state, accuse Kaminsky of distancing himself from the mayor because polls show he is unpopular outside the city.

"Todd Kaminsky votes like Mayor de Blasio and the New York City liberals, and if he wins this seat it's going to mean higher property taxes for hardworking Nassau County taxpayers, free college tuition for illegal immigrants, and more school aid for New York City at Long Island's expense,” said Senate GOP spokesman Scott Reif.

In responding, Senate Democratic spokesman Michael Murphy focused on corruption issues in Nassau County, calling McGrath a “Skelos clone.”

Larry Levy, executive dean of Hofstra University’s National Center for Suburban Studies, quesionted the strategies of both parties.

“Turning McGrath into a so-called Dean Skelos clone will be at least as hard as trying to turn de Blasio into the boogeyman of Long Island,” Levy said. “Neither seem to have any basis in fact.”

He said, ultimately, turnout for presidential primary held the same day could have the biggest impact on the race. If the Republican primary is still in play, that will benefit the GOP while the same can be said if the Dems are still battling, Levy said. Skelos' old district has more Democrats than Republicans.