Astorino Calling for Term Limits in State Government

ALBANY (AP) —

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino says term limits for New York lawmakers and statewide elected officials would help clean up corruption in Albany.

The Westchester County executive told reporters on Wednesday that he believes eight years is enough time for elected officials, and that any more time can lead to a culture of political insiders who place their own interests ahead of the voters’.

Astorino’s proposal would limit officials like governor and attorney general to two four-year terms and would hold lawmakers to a maximum of four two-year terms. Astorino says he is open to other term limit proposals if they have wider support.

Thirty-six states impose term limits on governors and more than a dozen have limits on lawmakers.

Astorino, who faces Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the fall election, also said he wants to keep third-party candidates out of any campaign debates. He said that the debates should only be between him and Cuomo because third-party candidates don’t have a chance of winning the governor’s race.

Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins says voters deserve to hear from all the candidates who qualify to be on the ballot. He says Astorino should welcome his presence at the debates because a Green Party candidate is likely to take votes away from Cuomo.

The six-person debates in 2010 were largely seen as a circus.

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