CQ Politics | Greg Giroux

Sens. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., and Richard C. Shelby, R-Ala., will easily win new terms in 2010 in part because of their huge campaign treasuries.

Schumer has $14.9 million in his campaign committee and Shelby has $14.8 million, according to a CQ Politics analysis of recently filed Senate campaign finance reports that cover activity through the end of June.

Schumer represents some wealthy New York donors and shattered fundraising records as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in the 2006 and 2008 campaign cycles. Shelby is a former chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and is presently its top-ranking Republican.

The Hill | Aaron Blake

Republican leaders in New York have chosen state Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava as their nominee for the special election to replace Army Secretary-designate John McHugh (R-N.Y.).

County chairmen for the 23rd district made the selection on Wednesday. The chairmen choose their nominee in lieu of a primary process for special elections in the Empire State.

“I congratulate Dede Scozzafava for receiving the nomination to represent our party and make the case for tax relief, economic development and opportunity,” state party chairman Joseph Mondello said. “We desperately need her voice to oppose the Democrats’ plans to stifle our economy, tax business out of existence and constrain individuals’ potential for success.”

Roll Call | Jennifer Yachnin

Among the five House lawmakers known to be under investigation by the House ethics committee, only Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) has reported payments to attorneys in the first half of this year, according to Federal Election Commission reports.

The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, commonly referred to as the ethics panel, announced in late June it is investigating whether privately sponsored travel to the Caribbean in 2007 and 2008 violated House gift rules.

An investigative subcommittee assigned to the matter focused its review on Reps. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), Donald Payne (D-N.J.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Del. Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands), as well as Rangel.

The Hill | David Shalleck-Klein

The race between Corning Mayor Tom Reed (R) and first-term Congressman Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) in New York’s 29th congressional district has just started, but already the rhetoric sounds like the homestretch of a campaign.

While the candidates themselves have stayed cordial toward one another, the state and national parties are in full attack mode.

Both Democrats and Republicans anticipate a closely watched and tight race. In 2006, Massa lost to Republican Rep. Randy Kuhl by a slim margin, then ran again in 2008, winning with 51 percent of the vote. The district went modestly for John McCain in 2008 and George W. Bush in both 2004 and 2000.

Daily News | Kenneth Lovett

Gov. Paterson will ask a judge on Monday to determine if deadlocked state senators should be paid, the Daily News has learned.

In the meantime, he told The News, which is running a “Don’t Pay the Bums” campaign, he’s instructed the state treasurer to put the brakes on direct-deposit pay for the Senate.

State Controller Thomas DiNapoli has already asked a court to decide whether his office has the legal power to withhold paychecks beginning Wednesday.

CQ Politics | No Author Listed

While Democrats have enjoyed two election cycles where they made huge strides in building their congressional majorities, we’ve been struck by the series of polls in the last few weeks that show a far grimmer outlook for their gubernatorial colleagues as we approach 2010.

Here’s a summary of the last five governor polls we’ve posted here in Poll Tracker:

Associated Press | MICHAEL VIRTANEN

The Republican-dominated faction claiming control of the New York Senate says a Democrat-appointed legislative staffer doctored the original, official minutes of the session three weeks ago to delete the GOP-staged coup to seize the majority.

In court papers, the faction claims the change was criminal, making it appropriate for a judge to intervene in the three-week-old power struggle and order the record corrected. That would officially show dissident Democrat Pedro Espada of the Bronx as Senate president, put in charge by his Republican allies.

CBS News | Prerana Swami

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is considering running for the governor of New York in 2010.

“I’m thinking about it but I don’t know if I’m at the point of seriously considering it. It’s a little too early,” Giuliani told CNN. “I know how to send signals; if I wanted to I would do it. I am not leaning [in either direction].”

News Day | SID CASSESE

Republican Rick Lazio, the former four-term congressman from Suffolk, is definitely a candidate for governor of New York next year, even though he has not formally announced it.

Lazio filed his papers as a candidate a couple of weeks ago, confirmed Republican officials, including Assemb. Philip Boyle (R-Islip), a former campaign manager and congressional aide for Lazio.

Associated Press | MICHAEL VIRTANEN

Republicans and Democrats dueling for control of New York’s Senate held simultaneous legislative sessions in their chamber Tuesday, exchanging jeers and catcalls before quickly taking a break.

Democratic Gov. David Paterson had called the session to break a two-week stalemate and get the Senate moving on issues with June 30 deadlines, including bond financing, municipal taxes and mayoral control of New York City schools.