Krueger Uses Albany to Raise Money

Facing a primary from a well-financed challenger, State Sen. Liz Krueger sent out a fundraising email to supporters, asking them to let her â??continue to be a part of the solution, for reforming Albany. Last year, Albany politics were tumultuous. The Senate coup threw control back to Republicans, a month-long stalemate halted productivity and a high- profile corruption case against former Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno ended in his conviction. In her fundraising letter, Krueger acknowledges Albany"s dysfunction and the anti-incumbency mood that threatens many officials" political security. â??This has been an eventful and maddening year in Albany's one that has left me both extremely aggravated and more committed than ever to fixing our state government, the letter reads. Krueger also recognizes her potential opponent Michael Cohen, an executive at real estate mogul Donald Trump"s company. Though she avoids his name, she writes that she will take the primary â??seriously. In an interview, Krueger said that any Albany representative needs to be wary of a challenger, but that she will be prepared to combat Trump"s well-lined pockets and Cohen"s connections. â??I will continue to make the argument that I am one of the good guys, in the context of difficult times. I stay true to my principles, my goals, in Albany, she said. â??That means having to raise money to get your message out. Krueger started off the 2010 political season with $225,367 in her campaign account. Cohen, a Democrat who registered with the GOP for an unsuccessful Council run in 2003, said he has been pledged support for more than $400,000. A part of his campaign will be self-financed, but he declined to give a dollar figure on how much of his personal wealth will go into this race. â??No doubt in my mind, I"m going to raise a tremendous amount of money, Cohen said. â??The important factor is to get name recognition and to be known in the state senate district with everybody.