Bob Dole and Juan Reyes (Photo: Reyes campaign)

Juan Reyes, an attorney campaigning for the Republican nomination to take on Queens State Senator Joe Addabo, has rolled out two endorsements not often seen in New York City politics: former presidential candidate Bob Dole and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The endorsements can probably be chalked up to the fact that Mr. Reyes worked for both men in Washington before returning to the city to help former Mayor Giuliani's administration.

"He won't tolerate the political nonsense that has done so much damage to New York's economy," Mr. Dole said in a statement this morning, calling Mr. Reyes an "outstanding leader who will fight for you and your family in Albany."

F0r his part, Mr. Rumsfeld said, "Juan is smart, tough minded, decent and hardworking. He is a solid conservative who stands for lower taxes, less government spending, and a strong emphasis on economic growth in the private sector."

Mr. Reyes is taking on City Councilman Eric Ulrich in the fast-approaching GOP primary, only 9 days away. The Queens Republican Party is notoriously factious and quarrelsome, but Mr. Reyes is officially supported by the majority faction, an endorsement Mr. Ulrich has described as not being worth a "warm bucket of spit."

Mr. Ulrich has his own endorsements, of course, notably been the entire Senate Republican conference and his campaign coffers are flush as a result, making him the favorite to win on September 13th.

The winner will take on Mr. Addabbo, a veteran pol made vulnerable by Republicans, who gerrymandered it to contain every conservative voter in eastern Queens. Indeed, Mr. Addabbo's seat is one of only two Democrat-held ones statewide that Republican strategists are heavily targeting to flip over to their side.