Giuliani Gives Last-Minute Help to Queens Senator By Ann Farmer and Nicholas Confessore- City Room Blog - NYTimes.com

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Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former New York City mayor and onetime presidential candidate, has not been quite as active in this year’s State Senate campaign as some had expected him to be. And he has been spending a lot of time lately on the campaign trail for Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate.

[Photo: State Senator Serphin R. Maltese and his wife, Constance, arrived to vote at Public School 128 in Middle Village, Queens. (Photo: Uli Seit for The New York Times)]

But Mr. Giuliani managed to make it back home for an Election Day appearance in the most hotly contested State Senate race in New York: the battle in Queens for the seat held by Serphin R. Maltese, a Republican who is facing off against Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., a Democratic city councilman.

“I’m here for Maltese today,” Mr. Giuliani said when he arrived with the senator at the Fame Restaurant and Diner in Maspeth. It is the kind of neighborhood where the former mayor is often greeted like a king, failed presidential bid or no.

“I wish you were running for president,” a woman called out when he arrived. Another woman shouted, “I love you, I do!”

But the main task at hand was Mr. Maltese, who won re-election in his heavily Democratic district by only a handful of votes in 2006.

“Were going to hold on to it,” Mr. Giuliani said, referring to the State Senate, where Democrats hold 29 seats and Republicans 31. (There are two vacancies.) “We have to win these one by one, and he’s going to win.”

Mr. Maltese seemed grateful for Mr. Giuliani’s help.

“It means a great deal,” the senator said. “He’s extremely popular here, well loved here. You see the enthusiasm for him here.”

Mr. Giuliani wore a red tie with little elephants on it, suitable for Election Day. He ordered a diet soda, while Mr. Maltese ordered a Swiss cheese omelet with home fries and toast.

“He’s getting ready for a big day,” the former mayor said. “I would like a Diet Coke, but feed him — he’s got to work all day.”

According to Kristin Lord, one of the campaign workers accompanying Mr. Maltese, the senator had visited 15 polling places, and none had long lines.

Mr. Giuliani’s foray into Queens drew expressions of approval from his fans.

“Quite a few people said they wished he was running today,” said Allyson Le Doux, 44, a waitress at the Fame Restaurant. Ms. Le Doux, however, said she would be voting Democrat all the way.

“I don’t know much about Addabbo,” she said. ” I‘m just going to vote Democrat down the line.”