Voter's Guide 2010: The Candidates

You've heard the candidates' names or passed their campaign signs on the side of the road, but who are they? Here is a final summary of the major party candidates for 2010 Election Day on Nov. 2.

New York State Governor:

D  – Andrew Cuomo  – As New York Attorney General, Cuomo investigated the state pension fund, the student loan industry and Wall Street corruption. As governor, Cuomo says he will consolidate state government and focus on revitalizing New York by bringing in new jobs. Republican opponent Carl Paladino and others blame Cuomo's expansion of mortgage loans when he was secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Clinton for fueling the housing crisis.

R  – Carl Paladino  – Paladino defeated Rick Lazio and pushed out Suffolk County's own Steve Levy for the Republican nomination. The focus of Paladino's campaign is overhaul in Albany. He says he plans to declare a fiscal state of emergency and will cut the state budget by 10 to 20 percent by freezing compensation of state employees, among other budget trimming measures. Paladino, a lawyer and businessman from Buffalo, has faced controversy during the campaign, accused of sending explicit e-mails and making offensive statements towards the homosexual community.

U.S. Senate:

D - Sen. Charles Schumer - Schumer, New York's senior senator, was elected in 1998. Prior to being elected Senator, Schumer spent nearly 20 years in the House of Representatives. His voting record includes support for measures that discourage offshoring of American jobs, the creation of the Small Business Lending Fund Program, and the health care public option (which he drafted).

R - Jay Townsend - Townsend is a businessman who formed The Townsend Group, an advertising agency based in Orange County, in 1993. He has lashed out against what he has called "the Obama spending spree" and has been an outspoken critic of the recent health care plan supported by Schumer. If elected, Townsend has said he plans to vote to repeal it.

U.S. Senate:

D - Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand - Gillibrand says job creation and economic development are her highest priorities. She voted in February to support the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and supported measures that provide tax cuts for middle class families. She also believes in increased access to healthcare, controlling medical costs, and she supported the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the so-called public healthcare option.

R - Joseph DioGuardi - DioGuardi believes government spending is out of control and is running on a platform of fiscal responsibility and budget reform. He also supports increased access to healthcare and controlling medical costs, but does not believe it should be legislated. Instead he believes that it should be accomplished within the private sector.

Attorney General

D - Eric T. Schneiderman – Schneiderman received his Bachelor's degree from Amherst College, where he majored in English and Asian studies.  His law degree is from Harvard Law School.  He served as Deputy Sheriff in Berkshire County, Massachusetts and from there went on serve as an anti-crime, anti-drug advocate as an attorney and in the New York State Senate, getting elected in 1998.

R - Dan Donovan – A Staten Island District Attorney, Donovan received his Bachelor's degree from St. John's University, where he majored in Criminal Justice. He received his law degree from Fordham University Law School.  He was a prosecutor for eight years in Manhattan and served as a Staten Island Borough President in 2002.

State Comptroller

D - Thomas DiNapoli – A Nassau County resident, DiNapoli became state comptroller in 2007.  In 1972, when he was elected to the Mineola Board of Education, he was only 18 years old.  He then served in the New York State Assembly for 20 years. He has also been an adjunct professor and a manager in the telecommunications industry. DiNapoli earned his Bachelor's degree from Hofstra University with a major in History. He received his Master's degree Management and Urban Policy from The New School University.

R - Harry Wilson – Harry Wilson, a native of Johnstown, New York, has been comptroller for Goldman Sachs, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, The Blackstone Group, and Silver Point Capital. Wilson was the only Republican to serve on the President's Auto Task Force, where he advised both Presidents Bush and Obama on how to proceed with the overhaul of General Motors.  He was opposed the corporate bailout of car company Chrysler.  Wilson is married with four children and lives in Westchester.

U.S. Congress, New York State's Second District

D – Steve Israel – Democratic incumbent Israel was first sworn into Congress in 2001. Israel is particularly focused on energy policy and worked to secure funds for the West Sayville Fire Department to install solar panels on their Oakdale location. He also has many other platforms, which can be viewed here.

R – John Gomez – Gomez is a native Long Islander and is now president of a successful telecommunications consulting company in Bayport. He is focused on cutting spending, cutting taxes, cutting regulations and strengthening the nation's national defense. For more information, click here.

New York State's Senate Third District

D – Brian Foley – Incumbent Foley continues to fend off voter anger over his decision to support the MTA Tax on small businesses—which also impacted school districts and local libraries—and some political experts feel this one issue could ultimately cost him his seat on Tuesday. Foley said a main focus of his campaign is keeping property taxes down.

R - Lee Zeldin – Challenger Zeldin says he is focused on finding ways to create jobs, and supports reforming New York State's Empire Zone program rather than eliminating it. Zeldin also said that he would have voted no on the MTA Tax and would be offering solutions as to how to make the MTA solve the issue.

New York State Assembly Third District

D - Rob Calarco – Calarco would like to secure jobs for Suffolk County's "driving unemployment force," which he defined as construction workers. Calarco also said that tax relief is an important issue and it is not just a matter of the school districts tightening their belts anymore, but that eliminating administrative costs and consolidating purchases on health insurance, for example, with other school districts are two ways to lessen the load on the residents.

R - Dean Murray – Incumbent Murray said he brings his business experience to the table, as well as his handling of the many issues his district is facing, such as property taxes. Murray also said he wants to make New York more business-friendly to attract companies that provide career opportunities. Regarding the MTA Tax, Murray noted that his first piece of legislation days after he was officially sworn into office this past February was a bill repeal the MTA Payroll Tax.

New York State Assembly Fifth District

D – Ken Mangan – After defeating Ginny Fields in a Democratic primary, Mangan has remained focused on the issues and wants to hep make Long Island a more affordable place to live. He said his first plan of action, if elected, would be to stop penalizing homeowners by raising their taxes after they have completed home improvements.

R – Al Graf – Graf feels that the problems faced by the state today will not be solved with the current administration "just throwing taxpayer dollars at the problem." He said his experience as a town supervisor in an upstate community affords him the knowledge he needs to "dig into the budget and cut services that we no longer provide."

WF, I – Ginny Fields – Fields said that she is running on her record and said that she will continue to vote against unfunded mandates in the state. "If it is a raise in taxes I vote against it and I have been doing that for six years," she said. Fields said that she has many "innovative and gutsy" ideas for addressing the issue of taxes, but doesn't want to discuss them on the campaign trail as her opponents "copy the ideas."

To find out where you vote, click here.

Denise Nash, Emily Portoghese, Joseph Pinciaro, Christine Sampson, Sara Walsh, Laura Weir, Amanda Fiscina, and Erin Schultz contributed to this story.