Giuliani to campaign for Lhota in NYC mayor's race

NEW YORK Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has been invisible during the general election campaign of fellow Republican Joe Lhota, will finally make his first appearance on his former protégé's behalf in the race's final days.

Giuliani, a polarizing figure in the city he used to govern, campaigned sparingly for Lhota during the Republican primary. But he has not done any public events for his one-time deputy mayor since Lhota became the GOP nominee.

Lhota, who is badly trailing Democrat Bill de Blasio in the polls, said Thursday that Giuliani, who now runs a consulting firm, was about to return to New York after traveling overseas.

"We've been texting each other back and forth and we'll coordinate something," Lhota told reporters after an unrelated campaign appearance in Brooklyn.

Lhota told The Associated Press in August that Giuliani's capacity on this campaign was "generally informal." Giuliani did host a few fundraisers for Lhota, particularly on conservative Staten Island, and appeared in one televised campaign ad.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/10/24/4411937/giuliani-to-campaign-for-lhota.html#.UmnKOkTn83E#storylink=cpy