Paladino's dark-horse candidacy was also buoyed by the millions of dollars of his personal fortune that he poured into his campaign.

But Paladino's campaign was beset by scandals and gaffes. Early in the campaign, emails he had forwarded to friends surfaced that were often racist or pornographic. After Paladino won the primary it was revealed that the family-values candidate had fathered a child with a mistress. Later, when Paladino accused Cuomo of cheating on his wife, he was caught on camera angrily threatening a reporter who asked for proof. "I will take you out," Paladino told the reporter.

"Some candidates have baggage," The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz wrote. "Carl Paladino has enough to fill the belly of a plane."

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