U.S. Rep. Tom Reed. AP photo

U.S. Rep. Tom Reed is definitely testing the waters when it comes to a run for New York state governor.

While wading through topics that included a controversial Congressional Georgia Republican and New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Corning Republican began simmering in a conference call with area media on Thursday. His emotions, while in check, appeared to signal a potential future battle with the three-term Empire State incumbent.

It began when talk turned to the concerns surrounding how the state handled the “disastrous” nursing home issue that led to 13,000 deaths during the pandemic. “Disgusting,” Reed said of the governor’s office response to the issue to a WGRZ-TV reporter, which spinned blame on a number of Republicans for the Jan. 6 mob scene at the Capitol building. “A complete lack of leadership and I would expect no different from Gov. Cuomo to engage in such despicable rhetoric.”

Reed then said Cuomo’s days were numbered. “There’s leadership coming to Albany very soon,” he noted without elaborating.

Within the last year, Reed’s name has been floated as possibly seeking the top state position, going as far to say he’s “not ruling it out.”

Earlier in the discussion, Reed — who co-chairs the Problem Solvers’ Caucus — attempted to keep a middle-of-the-road profile while calling out U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Reed said some of her previous statements have been “appalling.” As part of the Republican caucus meeting Wednesday, Reed heard from Greene, who once suggested that a Jewish-owned financial firm may have been involved in a plot to spark California wildfires using a space laser, and said her message was toned down.

“She denies carrying those belief structures going forward. … In regard to her rhetoric, (the party) will watch it going forward.”

House Republicans were to go on the record, defending or rebuking Greene, who has drawn bipartisan condemnation over her embrace of far-right conspiracy theories, as well as her past endorsement of violence against Democrats.

The politically agonizing vote expected Thursday, was to determine whether the Georgia Republican was stripped of her committee assignments. It also underscores tension over the best political path forward that has riven the party since Donald Trump lost the White House.

Reed, in his conference call, sought unity for the parties and nation. “Extremism has taken over our country … on the right and on the left. … There’s no place for that extremism in our country.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.