The New York governor's race is not particularly close, with Democrat and state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo leading businessman and Tea Party Republican Carl Paladino by about 20 percent. But, much like the similarly uncontested Delaware Senate race, it has drawn national attention for Paladino's eccentric behavior and because it is a rare opportunity for a Democrat to win in an election cycle expected to strongly favor Republicans. Here's the current state of the race.

• Mistrust of Paladino Trumps Anti-Establishment, Pro-Tea Party Mood  The New York Times' Nicholas Confessore and Marjorie Connelly write, "New York voters are profoundly pessimistic about the state economy, worried that they or someone in their household will be laid off in the coming year, and convinced that Albany is rife with corruption. But in the race for governor, they are rallying not around the gruff outsider who has promised to take a baseball bat to Albany, but around an insider who has spent much of his adult life working in government: Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo. ... New Yorkers’ embrace of Mr. Cuomo stands in vivid contrast to many races around the country, where establishment candidates face steep climbs to re-election, and insurgents backed by Tea Party activists appear poised to win a significant number of seats in Congress. Mr. Cuomo’s popularity appears to be fueled in part by widespread doubts about Mr. Paladino’s temperament and qualifications."

• New York Post: We Endorse Cuomo  The conservative NYC paper comes out for the Democrat. "Whereas four years ago the Republican Party offered the estimable John Faso as its gubernatorial candidate, this year the man at the top of the GOP ticket is a Buffalo businessman with a towering temper and a well-documented contempt for the truth. ... Meanwhile, the Democrats once again have put forth what appears to be an ambitious, articulate attorney general who has presented detailed plans for New York's future which reveal a realistic understanding of the state's problems and prospects and the seriousness of purpose needed to address them. It is on that basis that The Post today endorses Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for governor -- in the hope, if not necessarily the full expectation, that he will be the strong, reform-driven chief executive the Empire State so desperately needs."

• The Limits of Tea Party Rage  Politics Daily's Bruce Drake writes, "Republican strategist Matthew Dowd said on Sunday that people are so angry at the Democrats, they're willing to vote for candidates that may seem beyond the political pale, like Delaware's Christine O'Donnell. But if Carl Paladino, the outspoken and controversial Buffalo millionaire running for New York governor, was counting on that formula working for him against Democrat Andrew Cuomo, he looks to be out of luck."

• Today's Debate Still Poses Challenges for Cuomo  The New York Times' Nicholas Confessore asks, "Will the minor-party candidates gang up on him? Will his Republican rival, Carl P. Paladino, raise questions — again — about his former marriage? Will the discussion veer out of control, diminishing the front-runner along with the also-rans? The seven-way debate for governor on Monday has forced Andrew M. Cuomo to confront the kind of situation he dislikes most: an utterly unpredictable one. Intent on avoiding a gaffe that could upend the race, the famously methodical Mr. Cuomo has been consumed with debate preparation over the last week. He has rearranged his schedule and canceled some events to allow more time to get ready, while aides have debated over what approach to take on Monday evening, according to people involved in the campaign."

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