Conservative Party Legislative Conference

In the 2022 gubernatorial election, Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin, carrying the Conservative endorsement, won a higher share of the vote in each of New York’s 62 counties than President Donald Trump won in the 2020 presidential election. Additionally, the Conservative Party helped deliver the U.S. House of Representatives for the incoming GOP Majority and expanded the number of conservative allies in the State Legislature.

Now, we turn our focus to building on that success.

This winter, we are holding our 55th Annual Conservative Party Political Action Conference (CPPAC). The conference is being held on Sunday, February 5 and Monday, February 6, 2023, at a new location: The Albany Hilton (40 Lodge Street, Albany, NY 12207 If you plan on staying at the hotel, you are responsible for making your own reservations. Special rate is good until January 20, 2023)

This year’s conference will have an emphasis on training conservative activists with the practical skills needed to make the conservative case in the public marketplace of ideas. It will offer training for conservative-minded individuals who want to win in 2023 and beyond. If you are looking to strengthen your local party and train your committee members (and we hope you are), we encourage you to get them to this year’s CPPAC.

We are anticipating the most successful conference perhaps in the history of the party. Join New York’s standard-bearer and Monday keynote lunch speaker Lee Zeldin and his 2022 running mate Alison Esposito. Other noted speakers include China relations expert Gordon Chang, former Assembly Republican leader and current Public Finance Commission member Brian Kolb, and numerous members from New York’s Congressional delegation and State Legislature.

For further details and registration visit here.

New York Delegation Arrives in Washington

 I had the privilege of attending many events in our nation’s Capital for both returning and new members of the House from New York ho were elected with Conservative Party support.

The complications of electing a Speaker aside, we have an exciting, dynamic group of Congressmembers from New York. They can be expected to be common sense legislators fighting to protect our borders, a strong national defense, fair and equitable tax policies, support for law enforcement and values-oriented legislation.

As is our habit, the State party stays closely in touch with the group concerning their own proposals as well as important votes that regularly emerge. I also hope as individuals who stay current on Washington and Albany matters, you will keep our members informed on how you feel.

Choosing a Chief Court of Appeals Judge

Regardless of your view concerning the confirmation of Judge Hector LaSalle as the Chief Judge of the NYS Court of Appeals, you should be concerned that many Democratic State Senators have expressed little to no interest in qualifications or even basic fairness.

They want as partisan a court as they can get, even a court that ignores longtime precedents. Albany Democrats will go as far as to change a committee make up in order to keep a full floor vote of

the NYS Senate from occurring on LaSalle’s nomination. They want to say we would do the same. That is not true and frankly annoys me greatly.

Yes, there is right and wrong even in politics—especially in politics. Pushing for the Chief Judge of New York to be a partisan hack is simply wrong and puts New Yorker’s and our visitors in danger.

The Democrats in the NYS Senate need to stop playing games.

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It was without a doubt a banner year for the New York State Conservative Party as together we delivered, and the party enjoyed one of its most successful years since our founding in 1962.

We entered 2022 with momentum stemming from our victories in 2021 defeating several ballot propositions that would have changed the way reapportionment, voting and even elections were conducted. This momentum carried us through a reapportionment litigation period in which the party played a key role in finding plaintiffs and developing arguments. Additionally, Conservative Party official, Ross Brady, served as a member of the NYS Reapportionment Commission where he provided a voice of reason within a sea of partisanship.

In 2022 we saw 11 Conservative Party endorsed candidates get elected or re-elected to Congress. From Long Island to NYC, the Mid-Hudson, Southern Tier, Central New York, The North Country and Western New York, we were victorious. We, in fact, were the actual margin of victory in four Congressional races. The New York delegation were truly the “Majority Makers.”  Many, including Newsmax, have said the House Majority would have indeed been in trouble if not for the Conservative Party.

Statewide, the Conservative Party played a pivotal role in ushering in the largest freshman Conservative/GOP class in the State Assembly in many years. The Kings County Conservative Party actually flipped three Assembly seats. Many other parts of the State including Long Island, Staten Island and Rockland County can lay claim to important Legislative turnovers.

Not to be outdone, Lee Zeldin had the best showing in terms of percentage, 47%, since 2002. In fact, Lee Zeldin’s statewide vote total of over 313,000, better than twice our enrollment, is one of the highest totals in the history of the party. In nearly 200 statewide elections since 1962, the 2022 vote total ranks within the top ten results.

With this result the Party comfortably held onto Row C.

Our party also enjoyed close to home victories as State Vice Chair Frank Tinari of Suffolk County and Joe Lorigo, son of Erie County Chairman Ralph Lorigo, were both elected to the State Supreme Court.

Finally, I am proud to announce, once again, that our enrollment year-over-year continues to grow around the state.

With all that said, it is clear that the party remains strong on a local, state and national level. The upcoming year will be about local elections, party building and our issue agenda that our Members of Congress and the State Legislature advocate for.

I wish you all a Safe and Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays

From all of us at the Conservative Party we wish you Happy Hanukkah, a Merry Christmas, and a wonderful New Year. Some are already on their holiday vacation while others will be starting very soon. Wherever you are, we wish you a peaceful, safe and exciting holiday season with your family and friends.

2022 was a banner year for the Conservative Party throughout New York State. Together, we fought for our state and achieved many great things. I made a promise to move us in a winning direction and with your help, we remain on that path.

While 2023 will surely bring its new challenges, I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year and continuing our work together for a better New York. But first—enjoy your time away. We deserve this well-earned break with the people who matter to us most.

See you in 2023!

Pay Raises for Albany

 

The Legislature is planning on returning soon to vote themselves a more then 18% pay raise

bringing their salaries to $130,000 a year for a part-time job. The Conservative Party remains

opposed to any pay increase for its part-time Legislature.

 

Our opposition is based on both an objective and subjective view of the Assembly and Senate.

Subjectively, they do an awful job. Frankly, the party does not want to pay them more for giving

us unsafe streets, a sour economy, depopulation of entire regions, infringements on second

amendment rights, suppression of individual rights through mandates just to make a few points.

Objectively, the job is part-time despite efforts to eliminate outside income which will result in a

Legislature devoid of members who are part of the actual work force. This loss to the Legislature

of individuals who work at regular jobs or own businesses will do significant harm to a body that

strives to be representative of the government. The planned salary increases to $130,000 annually is

better than double the average salary of a single New Yorker working full-time.

We should call this what it is, a heist. But instead of ski masks, they’re wearing suits and dresses.

 

Lame Duck Session

 

The House of Representatives, controlled by the Democrats for less than two more weeks, is

moving full speed during its final days to pass spending legislation filled with numerous

programs that would go nowhere in the Republican controlled House that was recently elected by the

people of the United States.

 

It is not certain if the current Republican membership of the House operating in a tight minority

can win the day. What we do know is that the current 50/50 Senate can prevent the House Democrats

and Schumer from moving forward.

 

Our Conservative Party-endorsed delegation of eleven House members who will be taking office

on January 3rd understand and agree with our position. However, to win and get to next year we

need the US Senate to stand up.

 

At the moment, it does not look like that will happen. Put one more check mark next to a reason

why Mitch McConnell needs to go.

 

Executive Director Shaun Marie Levine to Retire

 

They say all good things must come to an end, in this case good is an understatement.

After more than twenty-seven years of steering the Conservative Party on a day-to-day basis our

Executive Director, Shaun Marie, has informed me that she plans to retire effective December 31st.

 

Shaun has worked tirelessly on behalf of the Party for Mike Long, for me and most importantly for you.

Frankly, she is irreplaceable.

 

The good news is that she will remain the Executive Vice Chairman of the State Party and as

such she will continue to play a key leadership role.

 

We will have much more to say about Shaun Marie in the weeks to follow as her service is worthy of

being recognized on its own. For now, allow me on your behalf and mine to say THANK YOU!

 

The Party is now taking on the enormous task of interviewing a successor to Shaun Marie for the position of Executive Director. I hope to have an announcement soon.

 

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Tolls and Fares on The Rise

New York States three largest authorities: Thruway Authority, Port Authority and the MTA are all planning to raise tolls and fares in 2023. In the case of the MTA, they are looking at significant fare increases above the increases that were already scheduled.

It is no accident that these authorities operate outside of direct taxpayer control. Years ago, the Legislature and Governor designed their creation to insulate elected officials from criticism that would certainly result from the increases that have become as regular as he change of seasons.

It is also clear that the tolls and fares we all pay are the equivalent of a gigantic tax that disguises itself as revenue to cover necessary operation, but as a bottom line comes out of your pocket. Transparency is an alien word to these authorities and public hearings no more than a short detour from their objective to raise tolls and fees.

Inflation hits all of us in bad ways. These fare and toll increases will be blamed on inflation as an excuse to be even more egregious, though we know these increases will not go away even when inflation comes under control. When our local and state government make a mistake, their fix is to always throw your money at it.

Jeffries Elected New Democratic House Leader

 The senior Democratic House leadership might have moved from the West Coast to the East Coast, but do not expect any difference in political stewardship. As San Francisco’s Nancy Pelosi leaves the stage and Brooklyn’s Hakeem Jeffries ascends to Minority Leader, expect many of the same failed Democratic ideas to emerge from their conference.  The main difference will be that, as the Minority Party, the likelihood that we will see a repeat of the gigantic spending and tax increases of the past two years repeat themselves is zero.

Terrible public safety policies which Pelosi put on the floor for a vote, which Congressman Jeffries supports, will not see the light of day. And environmental advocacy which focuses more on unrealistic goals than job retention and creation will find itself relegated to academic discussions.

I respect all those who enter the arena of public service. Hakeem Jeffries has worked hard and honorably to become the Democratic Leader. In fact, the national center of Democratic legislative power is in Brooklyn with both Schumer and Jeffries residing in the borough.

Having said that, we should all be especially thankful that Hakeem Jeffries is leading the Minority Party which should deter him from being an extension of the tax and spend Pelosi era.

Save The Date

 Our annual Conservative Political Action Conference will be on a new date and at a new location. We think you will like the change.

The venue will be the Albany Hilton directly across the street from the NYS Capitol in downtown Albany. The dates are Sunday, February 5^th through Monday, February 6th. There will even be some official activities on Saturday night for those who arrive early.

A lot is coming together right now, but expect more on how to organize, run political organizations, advocate, get candidates on the ballot and run campaigns. Of course, we will be having a Sunday night reception, Monday lunch, and Monday evening Legislative Reception along with a dinner where we thank our 100% legislatively rated representatives. We will also release our 2023 platform.

Expect to see both new and returning Congressmembers, as well as our State Legislative leaders.

Speakers will present on both national and state issues, and we are looking at breakout sessions and a more interactive event in general.

We just concluded one of the most successful election cycles in Conservative Party history with many victories and a record-breaking number of votes. This will be a great way to start the new year. More details to be released in the coming weeks.

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Republicans Win United States House Majority

It’s official, Nancy Pelosi will hand over the gavel to the new Speaker of the House, Republican Kevin McCarthy. This puts an end to Pelosi’s ultra-liberal leadership reign in Washington D.C. that lasted off and on for over two decades.

The New York State Conservative Party is proud to have played a pivotal role in securing a new Republican Majority. Eleven newly elected members of Congress from New York ran with Conservative Party support, and the Conservative Party line provided the direct margin of victory in four of those races.

In all, more than 200,000 of the party’s 310,000 statewide votes were cast on the Conservative Party line for the 11 victorious congressional candidates. The role the party played all over New York cannot be overstated. It is fair to say without the support of our voters, the majority of whom only cast their votes for Conservative endorsed candidates, the Republican Party nationally would be in clear danger of not being the majority party. Read my statement on the Republican House Victory here.

We look forward to hitting the ground running and having even more of a presence as we begin building the infrastructure and raising the money necessary to deliver again in 2024.

New York’s  Elise Stefanik Re-Elected Conference Chair

Elise Stefanik, the fourth ranking Republican in Washington, is certain to continue to play a leading role in developing national policies to combat the horrendous economic, public safety and foreign policies of President Biden and the House Democrats.

With eleven elected Members of Congress and Elise in a leadership role, New York will certainly play a large role nationally. Our New York Delegation has a bright future ahead. I look forward to working with them and advocating for policies that best protect the residents and guests of our state.

Happy Thanksgiving

Since there is no weekly wrap up coming next week due to the holiday, I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very safe and happy Thanksgiving. With another long and tedious election cycle behind us, I hope everyone finds time to relax with friends and family.

I am not one to play favorites among holidays. They each have special meaning and should be celebrated for the intrinsic meaning each represents. Certainly, Thanksgiving is different from Memorial Day which is different from Christmas. Yet Thanksgiving might be the one holiday that touches upon all the rest.

On Christmas we give thanks for the coming of Christ. On the 4^th of July we are thankful for the nation we live in. Veteran’s Day is a day to thank our veterans for their service and President’s Day for the service of our Chief Executives.

Almost all holidays are about being in one way or another thankful. Next Thursday we celebrate the one holiday that has thanks in its name.

Thanksgiving is also one of the lower stress holidays, at least for those not making the turkey. And of course, it has both secular and religious meanings as Americans in a broad sense recognize the establishment of a permanent European presence in what would become the original thirteen colonies, as well as the role of Native Americans in aiding these early colonists.

At some point Thursday could well become for you more about the turkey or a football game maybe even the World Cup. It could be about one of the many movies that tell the story of the Mayflower. That is fine, but do it with your family, take some time to give thanks for all God has afforded us as Americans. Grateful Day does not have the same ring to it, but we should be grateful for the many blessings that have been bestowed upon us this Thanksgiving.

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Happy Veterans Day

On behalf of the New York State Conservative Party, I am humbled and honored to have this platform to wish every member who has served in the United States Armed forces a very happy Veterans Day. November 11 is significant as it gives universal recognition to the celebrated ending of World War I fighting at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month) and was originally called “Armistice Day.” The first celebration using the term Veterans Day occurred in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1947. Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized “National Veterans Day” holding a parade and other festivities, to honor all veterans on November 11. It was U.S. Representative Edward Rees of Kansas who proposed the bill to change Armistice Day to Veterans Day. The bill passed Congress in 1954 and President Eisenhower signed it.

It is you, our veterans, who have kept this country the envy of the world. Our nation is promised a tomorrow thanks to your sacrifices. I offer my sincerest gratitude for your service, not just today, but every day. May God continue to be with you, your family, and our country.

Thank You Lee Zeldin and our Statewide Team

Although Tuesday did not end the way we had all wished, we have much to be excited about for the future. I’d like to thank Congressman Lee Zeldin for carrying the torch in New York. Lee was the right man at the right time to lead the 2022 ticket. The excitement he generated was crucial in our down ballot successes. New York is sending eleven Conservative Party endorsed candidates, four of which whose margin of victory was due to the Conservative Party line, to Washington D.C. in January.

As for the Conservative Party, we have surpassed the 305,000 vote mark with more to be counted. This is well beyond our highest statewide vote since 1998.

In the New York State Senate, with the help of the Conservative Party, the veto proof majority was broken.

In the NYS Assembly, Republicans, with Conservative Party endorsements, increased by a minimal of six seats. In King County, the Conservative Party played a key role in flipping three seats. Nothing like this has ever happened before.

I want to personally thank Lee Zeldin and Alison Esposito for running for Governor and Lt. Governor. We will always remember how dedicated Lee and Alison were to Saving Our State and look forward to supporting them in whatever they choose to do next.

We also thank Joe Pinion, Michael Henry, and Paul Rodriquez for their arduous work and outstanding efforts they put forth this election cycle.

Read my full statement on Tuesday night here

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You’ve heard it before, “this is the most important election of our lifetime.” That phrase sounds good, it creates the urgency—but for perhaps the first time, there is no truer statement.

New York is at a crossroads, and it is time to try something new, something different, because if we remain on the current trajectory, I am sorry to say that I believe dire consequences will follow. On November 8^th, I humbly ask you to vote based on your current situation, your circumstances, and your experiences around the City and State of New York.

As many of you know, I am a lifelong Brooklyn resident. I have quite literally seen the worst of times and the best of times. I know the difference, I’ve lived it, and I am living it again.

Every day the front pages of our newspapers, TV and radio news and certainly the internet is filled with stories of violence and crimes against New Yorker’s. Even cop killers, in fact 37 cop killers, have been released by the Cuomo/Hochul parole board.

IMAGINE, 37 COP KILLERS HAVE BEEN RELEASED INTO OUR STREETS.

Non-violent crimes, such as grand larceny auto are at record levels. I know of no one who is comfortable taking the subway in NYC these days.

Fatal shootings are up across New York State:  shootings are up 26% in Rochester and incredibly 80% in Binghamton, and 100% in Troy. Yes, 100%. Buffalo has some of its worst violence ever.

IMAGINE, CRIME HAS GONE UP 29% IN NYC.

If you won’t take it from me, take it from Allie Forest, a Rochester resident and mother who recently said her final goodbyes to her 16-year-old daughter before burying her, something no parent should ever have to experience. “Bail reform is terrible, and it has made the criminals too confident, they are laughing at the police.” Forest said. “If politicians like Governor Hochul lived on the dangerous streets we do, we wouldn’t have bail reform.”

We have a slate of candidates for offices from Governor to the New York Legislature that can turn this state around. The new crop of conservative congressional members certain to emerge in New York State will be decisive in removing Nancy Pelosi, AOC, Jerry Nadler and the entire bunch of liberals from power in Congress.

Lee Zeldin for Governor, Alison Esposito for Lt. Governor, Joe Pinion for U.S. Senate, Michael Henry for Attorney General and Paul Rodriguez for Comptroller are the ticket to change in New York State.

Early voting has buoyed my confidence in victory on Tuesday. Be sure to cast your vote on the Conservative Party Line; your vote on Row C, will make the final difference.

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