Republican Carl Paladino continues to rack up endorsements for his bid to become New York’s next governor. But so far, most of those endorsements have come from Western New York leaders. YNN's Kevin Jolly looks at how this could help or hurt Paladino's statewide aspirations.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- With just days to go before the primary, Republican gubernatorial hopeful Carl Paladino is chalking up two more endorsements from Western New York leaders. Hamburg Town Supervisor Steve Walters and Amherst Town Supervisor Dr. Barry Weinstein announced their endorsement of the local businessman and developer.

"Carl shares our disdain for the leadership in Albany and I think that sums it right up," said Dr. Weinstein

"Carl's going to get in there. He's going to shake those Albany incumbents, those Albany politicals up. He's going to make some changes. He's going to bring this state back. He's going to make us the proud empire state once again," Walters added.

Weinstein and Walters are just the latest Western New York elected officials to throw their support behind the outspoken candidate.

But the question is: Can Paladino win the same kind of support down the thruway? He seems to think so.

"They're no different downstate than we are upstate and we are good downstate, everywhere downstate," said Paladino.

"I think that's a local phenomenon, but I don't think that it would generate quite a buzz across the state as a whole," said Buffalo State Political Science professor Dr. Anthony Neal.

Dr. Neal thinks Paladino's no nonsense manner and outside message resonates more with conservative voters in the western part of the state than liberal voter’s downstate.

Dr. Neal said that split also points to deep divisions within the state’s Republican Party, "What it does do it shows that there is a little split within the Republican Party that downstaters and upstaters have different opinions about what they really want to see in a candidate and who they actually want to see in office."

As the primary nears, polls show Paladino actually closing the gap between he and Republican frontrunner Rick Lazio. Still, Dr.Neal thinks it will take nothing short of a miracle for Paladino to win.

"Poll numbers might be narrowing to a certain extent, however, I do not see an upset in that election between now and Tuesdays' time before the primary," said Dr. Neal.

Despite some predictions of a loss, Paladino said he's determined to prove them all wrong, "I don't give a hell. Print whatever you want 'cause I've gone to the people and the people are speaking, and you’re gonna see the people speak."