Albany, NY, United States (AHN) - A madam who was imprisoned for her role in the prostitution scandal that forced Eliot Spitzer to resign is running to as governor of New York.
Kristin Davis launched her campaign on Monday at the historic Roosevelt Hotel on a platform to legalize, regulate and tax the use of marijuana and prostitution, and to allow gays to marry.
The 34-year-old announced her intention to run early February during a speech before the Manhattan Libertarian Party. She has formed her own party, called Personal Freedom, and is running as an independent with Republican activist Robert Stone at the helm of her campaign.
She has been touting her academic record -- high school valedictorian and a bachelor's degree in business from St. Mary's College -- and the $5-million a year escort service she owned until the Spitzer scandal.
Davis is the only independent candidate in the race to succeed Gov. David Paterson. She joins and Steve Levy, a Suffolk County executive who has yet to choose a party line. and two Republicans, former New York Rep. Rick Lazio and Guilderland Town Board member Warren Redlich, in the race.
Paterson suddenly ended his campaign for a full term last Friday after a report revealed that he may have tried to influence a former girlfriend not to press charges against a top aide accused of assaulting the woman. He took office in March 2008, when he vacated his post as lieutenant governor and succeeded Spitzer.
The race had no other official Democratic contender except for Paterson until the governor withdrew last week. State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is widely expected to run and is ahead in polls, but he has not made an official announcement.
Spitzer, dubbed the "Sheriff of Wall Street," resigned in March 2008 after he was identified by a federal wiretap as Client no. 9 of a prostitution ring known as the Emperors Club VIP. Investigators said the first-term governor paid a prostitute named Kirsten to travel from New York to Washington, where they spent the night in the Mayflower Hotel.
The federal probe also implicated Davis, who spent four months at Riker's Island for promoting prostitution.
Comments
Yeah, good luck with that campaign.
Log in to vote