Albany

In New York state government news, campaign season will officially get underway as the Democratic and Republican parties hold their nominating conventions.

At the gatherings, party insiders will pick their favorites for governor, attorney general and other statewide offices. This year, the nominations for attorney general will take on special significance following the abrupt departure of Eric Schneiderman, who resigned amid allegations that he assaulted four women.

A look at what's coming up:

Democrats to Long Island

This year's convention became a lot more interesting after Schneiderman's resignation. The candidate that picks up the party's endorsement automatically becomes the front-runner since registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in New York by more than 2 to 1.

So far, New York City Public Advocate Letitia James is the only candidate to officially enter the race, but several other names have been mentioned as possible Democratic candidates, including U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney and Fordham law professor and progressive activist Zephyr Teachout.

Acting Attorney General Barbara Underwood now leads the office. Lawmakers could appoint a new attorney general to finish out Schneiderman's term or simply wait for voters to make a decision in November.

Nomination votes for attorney general and comptroller will be held Wednesday at the party's convention at Hofstra University.

As the de facto leader of the state party machine, two-term incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to pick up the nomination for governor when the votes are counted Thursday morning, but he's still expected to face a spirited challenge from activist and "Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon in September's Democratic primary.

GOP takes Manhattan

Republican insiders will gather at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan to pick their nominees, and as is the case with the Democrats, the attention is on the race for governor and attorney general. Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro has emerged as the clear GOP favorite for governor, despite an initial decision in January not to run. Molinaro's rise came at the expense of John DeFrancisco of Syracuse, the deputy majority leader of the state Senate. DeFrancisco has all but admitted defeat to Molinaro but has not formally dropped out of the race.

Schneiderman's resignation has given the GOP fresh hope of picking up a statewide office for the first time since George Pataki left the governor's office. Republican Manny Alicandro, a corporate attorney from Manhattan, was already planning on running for attorney general.

Events coming up

The state Senate's health and insurance committees, along with the Senate's Heroin Task Force, will hold a hearing Tuesday in Albany to examine access to drugs like naloxone, which can reverse or treat opioid overdoses. The Assembly's health and judiciary committees will meet Thursday in Manhattan to discuss the state's ban on paid gestational surrogacy.