Back in March, Diana Taylor's name was added to the long list of possible Republicans challengers to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. With her credentials as a one-time Pataki administration staffer and former NY State banking official—not to mention being Mayor Bloomberg's girlfriend—she reportedly met with Republican Senators about the idea. Now the NY Times confirms that she "was not only intrigued by the idea, but also eager to delve into the details of a potential campaign and future career in the Senate."
The long, front page article suggests that Taylor, 55, may be positioned to run for office once Bloomberg finishes his third (and final?) term: "Republican lawmakers, consultants and operatives continue to describe Ms. Taylor — a former investment banker and state banking regulator — as a 'perfect candidate,' a 'grand-slam home run' and a 'shoo-in' for offices ranging from governor to mayor of New York... She vigorously opposed a 2004 decision that allowed banks like J. P. Morgan and HSBC Holdings to escape state supervision... In 2006, two years before the housing market imploded, Ms. Taylor gave a speech warning that mortgage brokers were peddling exotic products to unsophisticated consumers that 'hide or bury information about the real terms of the loan.'"
However, Bloomberg wasn't very enthusiastic about her running, because it might be a little awkward for the junior Senator to be co-habitating with the mayor of New York. Still, other Republicans are hopeful that Taylor will run for office; former Pataki aide John Cahill said, "I get the sense that she would really like to do it."
