| Name & Party: |  DEMOCRAT Andrew Cuomo | REPUBLICAN Carl Paladino |
| Basic Info: | NY attorney general since 2007 Age: 52 | Buffalo, NY real-estate mogul Age: 64 |
| Issues: |
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| Polling At: | 55% | 36% |
| Campaign Chest: | $19.9 million | $209,000 |
| Key Quote | "Mr. Paladino has his own Tea Party; it's an extreme brew." | "Has anybody asked Andrew Cuomo about his paramours?" |
| Petty Controversy: | Drew flack for using phrase "shuck and jive" in reference to President Obama's '08 campaign | Threatened to "take out" a journalist who, Paladino said, had photographers "stalking" the young daughter Paladino has with his former mistress |
| Wild card: | Paladino drew national attention — and condemnation from a gay nephew — after he delivered a "homophobic" speech to Orthodox Jewish leaders. | |
| Dueling Ads: | "Takes On": In this ad, Cuomo accuses Paladino of benefitting from "questionable" tax breaks and insider deals | "I'll stop the mosque": Paladino promises to block the development of the Park51 Islamic center near Ground Zero |
Cuomo's "Takes On":
Paladino's "I'll Stop the Mosque":
