Former hedge fund manager Harry Wilson, recruited by GOP leaders for years to run for governor, announced his candidacy on Tuesday. The state Republican Party's nominating convention will be held next week.
Wilson is the founder and CEO of the MAEVA Group, a firm that specializes in trying to turn around struggling businesses. He was a senior adviser for President Barack Obama’s Task Force on the Auto Industry, a panel that helped oversee the bailout of General Motors and Chrysler in 2009.
Whether Wilson can get on the Republican primary ballot may depend on some wheeling-and-dealing at the Garden City Hotel in Nassau County, where the Republican State Committee will gather on Monday and Tuesday for its convention. A candidate must get 25% of the committee’s weighted vote to get on the primary ballot without having to collect petition signatures from Republican voters.
“We're firmly behind Rob, but I will go through the motions and discuss everything with everybody,” Colety said. “But I don't see Westchester changing their vote.”