By Jill Terreri
Mayor Byron W. Brown said today that he has not had any discussions about being selected as Gov. Andrew Cuomo's runningmate this fall.
“To be honest with you it’s not something I have thought a whole lot about," he said in an interview about the possibility of running for lieutenant governor. "It has not been discussed in any way, shape or form. The state convention is May 20th through the 22nd, and so again, it’s not really something that I am thinking about at this point.”
Asked to clarify what he meant when he said it hasn't been discussed, Brown said, “I haven’t discussed it with anyone who is in a position to do anything about it.”
Brown said he hasn't decided whether he'll attend the state Democratic convention.
Given that the convention is less than three weeks away, does Brown think he would have been approached by now if he was going to be lieutenant governor?
“I would think so. I would certainly think so,” he said.
Speculation about Brown's possible selection as lieutenant governor surfaced after there were questions about whether Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy would stay on for Cuomo's campaign for a second term. At a political event this week, Duffy declined to reveal his own political future.
Brown did not rule out leaving, but said he enjoys the job he has now.
"What I say to anyone is never say never," he said. "When opportunity knocks, not only do you have to be prepared for it, but you have to be open to consider it. That being said, my full focus, my 100 percent focus and attention is on the city of Buffalo and my job as mayor of Buffalo. My job of being mayor has got to be one of the best jobs in the entire world.”