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Romney likely to back Giuliani rival for N.Y. governor

E-mail|Link|Comments () Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor October 1, 2009 09:50 AM

By Sasha Issenberg, Globe correspondent

WASHINGTON -- Rudy Giuliani is still deciding whether he wants to run for New York governor next year, but Mitt Romney is already backing the man he once dressed up as the former New York City mayor in a debate rehearsal.

On Oct. 21, Romney plans to host a New York City fundraiser for Rick Lazio, a former Long Island congressman who announced his candidacy for governor last week. Lazio helped raise money for Romney’s 2008 presidential effort and played Giuliani in one of Romney’s debate-prep sessions during the GOP primaries.

“It’s a private fundraiser and it’s not a public endorsement event,” said Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom. “But stay tuned.”

The former Massachusetts governor is active in helping fellow Republicans as he continues to lay the groundwork for a possible repeat bid for the presidency in 2012. Wednesday night, the 2008 GOP nominee, Senator John McCain, put his name on a fund-raiser for Romney in Phoenix.

Giuliani is reportedly considering his own gubernatorial bid, and is expected to announce any 2010 plans shortly. He briefly ran for the US Senate in 2000, but dropped out of the race due to medical and personal issues. The Republican nomination went instead to Lazio, who lost to Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton in the general election.

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