New Yorkers in Florida still like Rudy

Native New Yorkers give Giuliani an edge in Florida
The Buffalo News | Jerry Zremski


Suzanne Citere’s father danced with Hillary Rodham Clinton at the 1992 Democratic National Convention, but now, Citere, a 40-year-old dance instructor, is the former first lady’s worst nightmare.

Citere sat beaming proudly in the front row last week as Republican candidate Rudy Giuliani, widely considered the frontrunner for his party’s presidential nomination, as Clinton is for hers, delivered a rousing stump speech in a crowded hotel ballroom here in the part of Florida nicknamed “New York’s sixth borough.”

“I saw what he did in New York City,” said Citere, a native of Brooklyn who recently changed her party registration from Democrat to Republican just so she could vote for the former New York City mayor in Florida’s primary Jan. 29. “I lived it. I think it’s a small glimpse into what he can do for the country.”