New York Republicans made a great effort on Tuesday, April 15, to energize the high rollers of the party faithful. The annual gala dinner at Manhattan’s Plaza Hotel across from Central Park, occurred during Chol HaMoed Pesach. The eight observant Jews who attended were treated by the party leadership with special Pesachdik meals. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, an Orthodox Jew, was a featured speaker. Blakeman said he ate before coming to the dinner and did not eat at the dinner.
The other featured speakers included Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, former New York Governor George Pataki and New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump. Other prominent attendees were Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt, Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay, billionaire supermarket and media mogul John Catsimatidis, State GOP Finance Chair Elie Hirschfeld, some rank-and-file members of the legislature and major donors from the Asian community.
Youngkin, 58, was elected in 2021 and is seeking reelection this year. Prior to running for governor, Youngkin spent 25 years at the private-equity firm The Carlyle Group, where he became co-CEO in 2018. He resigned from the position in 2020 to run for governor.
Youngkin was brought in as the featured speaker to inspire the GOP to win next year’s statewide election as he did in Virginia. While Youngkin said New York can flip the state from deep blue to red as was the case in Virginia, he neglected to mention his net worth as of 2021 was estimated to be $440 million. He also never mentioned he contributed $20 million of his own money to finance his race. He is donating his gubernatorial salary of $175,000 a year to various charities. This makes Youngkin’s ability to win very different from what New York Republicans can muster for campaign financing. The last New York governor who financed his own campaign was Nelson Rockefeller more than 65 years ago.
“I can’t imagine that I would be standing here with all of you talking about transforming New York. This is so much more than a race,” Youngkin said. “This is a rescue mission that needs a Republican governor. New York is ready. New Yorkers want a different future. New Yorkers want lower taxes. New Yorkers want safe communities. New Yorkers want parents in charge of their children’s lives. New Yorkers want a better tomorrow just like Virginians did in 2021. When it comes to winning, I never bet against New Yorkers. New Yorkers are ready to win. New Yorkers are ready to do what it takes. New Yorkers are ready for a better future and New Yorkers are ready to take your incumbent governor and tell her to step down. It’s time for a replacement. That’s what New Yorkers are ready to do.”
Those words were inspiring to the more than the 250 patrons who attended the fete.
“In 2026 we will elect a Republican governor from New York,” said state Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox. “We are building a movement to take back our state. You [referring to Youngkin] not only inspired us but you showed us the way. You made it clear that a Republican governor in a blue state can make a big difference.”
While no one has officially announced their candidacy, likely GOP candidates appear to be Congressman Michael Lawler (Pearl River, Rockland County), Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman or Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin. Members of Congress are not seen as likely candidates because of the slim majority Republicans hold in the House of Representatives. Members of Congress run for office in the same even numbered years the governor does and candidates cannot run for two separate offices at the same time.
County executives run in odd numbered years, such as this one, so they would not have to give up their incumbency to run for a statewide office. County executives also have another advantage, the word ‘executive’. They would have a proven track record of management to bolster their candidacy. In New York, the past two recent GOP county executives to run for governor were not successful – Rob Astorino from Westchester County and Marc Molinaro from Dutchess County.
Former Governor George Pataki spoke for five minutes. His role was apparently to jazz up the crowd by providing shout-outs to four top Republicans. “Bruce [Blakeman] you can’t stop at Nassau, keep fighting,” Pataki said.
Pataki has two homes. One is in Westchester County, where his congressman is Michael Lawler, and in Essex County, where his congresswoman is Elise Stefanik.
“Mike Lawler, I don’t think he’s done being in Congress,” Pataki said. Pataki, 79, slipped when he called Stefanik “My northern Assemblywoman.” Elise Stefanik, 40, never served in the Assembly and is a Member of Congress. Pataki votes in Westchester County, not in Essex County in Stefanik’s district.
Pataki also recalled his longtime friendship with state Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar and Kassar’s predecessor, Michael Long. Pataki said it was the Conservative Party support that took him over the finish line in the 1995 race. It was a 3.3 percent margin of victory for Pataki. The Westchester Republican received 48.8 percent of the vote to incumbent Governor Mario Cuomo’s 45.5 percent and Independence Party candidate Tom Golisano who received 4.2 percent of the vote. Political analysts attribute Pataki’s victory to Golisano’s candidacy taking away votes from Cuomo.
After tripping over the title from Stefanik he formally introduced her to the audience. Stefanik had a message that was so pro-Trump you would have thought he was in the room and she was channeling his words.
“We have failed antisemitic institutions like Columbia and Harvard that are being defunded. Antisemitism is engulfing our streets and college campuses across the state. Crime has skyrocketed.” Stefanik said after taking a few minutes to praise Trump. “How about kicking out boys and men from girls and women’s sports. In our home state of New York, we are moving in the exact opposite direction with the catastrophic failed far-left leadership of Kathy Hochul and Albany Democrats. Single party far-left radical Democrat rule. Our Empire State, once a beacon of opportunity, innovation and strength is fading fast before our very eyes. It seems like someone is asking, ‘Will the last one out of New York, please turn the lights off.’ I am here to say, not on our watch. It is time to save New York.”
Stefanik also took aim at the Democrats.
“In 2020 I coined the phrase ‘worst governor in America’ for Andrew Cuomo and boy did that stick,” Stefanik boasted. “I couldn’t imagine it could get any worse but Kathy Hochul made that possible. She truly is the worst governor in America.
“In Kathy Hochul’s New York, small businesses are closing. They are fleeing the state. Families are leaving. Whether it’s young families struggling to make ends meet or seniors who can’t afford the cost of living in New York state,” Stefanik concluded.”
Stefanik continued to blast the Democrats as if she was a gubernatorial candidate. Her description of New York was similar to how Youngkin described his view of Virginia when he ran.
“Let’s face reality. New York is bleeding. Two million people have left New York since 2010. More than 100,000 in just one year. From Syracuse to Staten Island, our communities are shrinking. New York City has been overrun with crime. Upstate cities like Buffalo and Rochester are shadows of their former selves. Albany Democrats have taxed us to death. We have the highest state income tax in America. You want to start a business in New York, good luck. We are the 49th worst climate when it comes to starting small businesses,” Stefanik bellowed. “This is not leadership. It is a betrayal of hard-working New York families. Our economy in the state is gasping. We’ve lost 200,000 manufacturing jobs since 2005. Factories gone. Futures dim. More than 300 major firms from Wall Street giants to small startups have packed up, fled, taking billions of dollars with them.”
She also talked about a failed school system in New York, illegal immigrants which impacts her congressional district on New York’s northern border. While the federal government has one-party Republican rule in the White House, Senate and House of Representatives, Stefanik doesn’t think one-party Democratic rule is acceptable.
“It’s not just bad policy; it is a culture of corruption in Albany with one-party rule. A status quo corrupt Democratic machine that has controlled Albany and this state for decades. She [Kathy Hochul] is so corrupt, that when I was nominated and there was a potential special election in New York’s 21st District, she tried to work with Albany Democrats to illegally delay and disenfranchise nearly one million New Yorkers just to take away their vote and voice in Washington. This is the epitome of Kathy’s failure.” Stefanik said. “The legislature is no better. This isn’t governance. It’s a corrupt Democrat racket. There is no greater example than our corrupt attorney general Tish James and criminal judges who weaponized the courts against President Trump with their desperate witch hunt. Thank G-d they failed. We’re going to fire Tish James too.”
Attorney Michael Henry has announced his candidacy to challenge incumbent Attorney General Letitia James for a second time. Henry lost to James in 2002 by 536,955 votes, a 9.3 percent difference. For a Republican in New York to come that close to defeating an incumbent Democrat has not happened in several years.
In 2026, the way we save New York is we fire Kathy Hochul once and for all. Let’s never forget, as proud New Yorkers here, we are the Empire State,” Stefanik said to applause. “It’s not a fading shadow. Let’s reignite that fire. No one is turning out the lights. We are going to stand here and fight to save the state.”
