Marc Cenedella: I’m Out! [UPDATED]

Internet entrepreneur Marc Cenedella, who saw his potential bid to challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand become entangled in questions about inappropriate blog posts he may have written, today announced that he would not be running for U.S. Senate.

Here’s the statement:

“I will not be running for the United States Senate in 2012. I have given a run careful consideration, and I believe Senator Gillibrand is beatable.  Her early and unfounded attacks on me, her weak poll numbers, and her lethargic quarterly fundraising results all point to a politician in trouble — and encourage me to challenge her.  

“But running for the Senate this year, under this accelerated election calendar, is untenable for me from a business perspective.  The calendar is too tight for me to do what I need to do politically and professionally to win this seat in 2012.  I promised to make a quick decision on whether to run for the Senate out of respect for the Republican and Conservative Parties and the other candidates pursuing this race, and I fulfill that promise today. I look forward to doing everything in my power to help the candidate ultimately selected defeat Ms. Gillibrand and her errant policies for the sake of economic growth in this state.”

[UPDATE] Cenedella’s exit leaves Nassau Comptroller George Maragos, who has so far failed to ignite much enthusiasm among the state’s GOP, and Wendy Long, a Manhattanattorney who’s name was floated during this week’s Conservative Party political action conference.

As noted by Liz earlier today, Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long has some very positive things to say about Wendy Long (no relation).  One source told us that neither GOP or Conservative party elders pressured Cenedella to get out of the race – and with his large bank account and ample contacts around the state, it’s not hard to believe – but that the race was “getting cloudier with the probable entrance of Wendy Long,” a Conservative Party favorite.

Meanwhile, earlier today, Capital New York reported that Gillibrand had raised $1.8 million over the last quarter, bringing her total cash-on-hand to a whopping $8.1 million. At the time (approximately seven hours ago), a Cenedella spokesman said Gillibrand’s numbers were nothing surprising.