Conservative Party of New York
Encyclopedia
The Conservative Party of New York State is an American political party active in the state of New York
. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years.
In the United States House of Representatives elections, 2010
, the Conservative Party netted 267,939 votes, the fourth-most of any political party nationwide (behind only the Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians and ahead of the Green and Constitution Parties) despite having operations in only one state. As of November 1, 2011, a total of 147,993 voters are registered with the party.
, Charles E. Rice
, and Charles Edison
, out of frustration with the perceived liberalism of the state's Republican Party
. A key consideration was New York's fusion voting, almost unique among US states, allowing candidates to accumulate separate votes from more than one party. This was being used by the Liberal Party of New York
to encourage Republican and Democratic candidates to compete for left-leaning support.
The Conservative Party founders hoped to balance the Liberal Party's influence. An early supporter was National Review
founder William F. Buckley
, who served as the party's candidate for mayor of New York City
in 1965. In 1970, William's brother James Buckley
was elected to the U.S. Senate
as a Conservative Party candidate; in 1976, he ran for reelection as a candidate of the Republican and Conservative Parties, losing to Daniel Patrick Moynihan
. In the 2004 U.S. Senate election
, the Conservative Party endorsed Marilyn O'Grady to oppose Republican candidate Howard Mills and incumbent Democratic
Senator Charles Schumer
.
The Conservative Party of New York State has often been aligned with Catholic
voters and candidates.
's fusion
campaigns with endorsement from the Liberal Party for New York City mayor in 1989, 1993 and 1997. The decision not to endorse party-switching Syracuse state Senator Nancy Larraine Hoffmann
cost the GOP
that seat in the 2004 election. However it has also endorsed Democratic candidates as well, such as controversial former Buffalo
mayor and presidential candidate Jimmy Griffin, who was initially elected mayor solely on the Conservative ticket but had Republican support as well for his subsequent campaigns. It also cross-endorsed such Democrats as former Manhattan
District Attorney
Frank Hogan
and Capital District
Congressman Michael McNulty
. No Republican has won statewide office in New York without Conservative Party support since 1974.
; that year, the Party broke from the Republican Party, declining to cross-endorse Republican nominee Pierre Rinfret. London ran a strong campaign statewide and finished one percentage point behind Rinfret, while Democratic Governor Mario Cuomo
easily won re-election.
's candidacy for the 2006 Senate election against Hillary Clinton. Pirro was a liberal Republican and was supported by Governor George Pataki
and other GOP leaders who saw her as the only candidate who could compete against Clinton. Under pressure from the Conservative Party and factions within the GOP, Pirro withdrew from the race in November 2005 to run for state attorney general (this time, with the endorsement of the Conservative Party). She was defeated in that race by Andrew Cuomo
. Most Conservative Party state and county leaders supported John Spencer
, former mayor of Yonkers, New York
. While Spencer received the Republican nomination, he was defeated by Clinton in the general election.
In the race for Governor, Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long endorsed John Faso
, the former Assembly Minority Leader and Republican State Comptroller
nominee in 2002. Faso also received the endorsements of county branches of the Conservative Party. Bill Weld
, John Faso
's primary contender, received lukewarm support from the Conservative Party due to his support of abortion
and same-sex marriage
; Weld considered running on the Libertarian Party
ticket. Faso was the nominee of both the Republican and Conservative parties, but was defeated by Eliot Spitzer
.
and Sarah Palin
for president and vice president in the 2008 election
.
for the special congressional election in the 23rd congressional district
, an election won by the Democratic nominee, Bill Owens. The Conservative Party chose Hoffman, a fiscal and social conservative, in reaction to the Republican Party's nomination of pro-choice, pro-same-sex-marriage, pro-union Assemblymember Dede Scozzafava, who Chairman Mike Long declared to be a "nice lady who is too liberal." On October 31, 2009, Dede Scozzafava suspended her campaign, leading prominent Republicans such as national chairman Michael Steele to endorse Hoffman. The final election results showed that Owens prevailed over Hoffman by a margin of 48.3% to 46%. According to one commentator, "tea party conservatives see the GOP loss as a victory for conservativism over mere political party loyalty. They’re describing the defeat as a warning shot fired in defense of principle." In addition, elected officials and observers opined that the congressional race had an impact on the New York State Senate's December 2, 2009 vote against same-sex marriage legislation.
Stephen Christopher, the party's nominee for Mayor of New York City
, came in third in that race with 1.7% of the vote. The party's nominees for Public Advocate and Comptroller also came in third with 3.5% and 2.3% of the vote respectively. http://www.vote.nyc.ny.us/pdf/results/2009/General/3.11CitywideComptrollerRecap.pdf
for the New York gubernatorial election, 2010
, and directed his allies to do the same. However, several county chairmen refused, and coalesced behind vice chairman Ralph Lorigo to assure Lazio would have a Conservative Party primary opponent. Long sent a letter demanding Lorigo to either cease his gubernatorial campaign or resign his position within the party, accusing him of being a stalking horse
for another candidate, Carl Paladino
, whom Long refused to consider (an allegation that, to this point, Lorigo has at least publicly denied, though his campaign is being run by family members of the Paladino campaign). Long did not state any consequences for refusing to do so. The Conservative Party insisted it would continue to campaign for Lazio regardless of whether or not he won the Republican primary, assuming that he would win the Conservative Party primary; if he had lost both primaries, which Long dismissed as an impossibility, he would have been off the ballot. The presence of Lorigo on the primary ballot had no effect on the party's eagerness to promote Lazio as their presumed candidate.
Lazio defeated Lorigo in the primary election by a roughly 60-40 margin, though write-in candidates were significant in several upstate counties, many of which voted for Lorigo over Lazio. Paladino defeated Lazio in the Republican primary. Since that time, Long has barred Lorigo from party meetings. Lazio dropped out of the race on September 27, requiring a vacancy committee to convene and select a replacement; Lorigo claims that Suffolk County chairman Ed Walsh held a meeting among his party's members that claimed a 90 percent support rate, at odds with Long's claims. Long eventually endorsed Paladino, and the vacancy committee followed, placing Paladino on the line.
Paladino eventually drew 232,264 votes on the Conservative Party line, propelling the party past the Independence Party of New York
to retake Line C for the first time since the 1998 elections. The surge came at the expense of Paladino's Taxpayers Party, which did not qualify for automatic ballot access.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It is not part of any nationwide party, nor is it affiliated with the American Conservative Party, which it predates by over 40 years.
In the United States House of Representatives elections, 2010
United States House of Representatives elections, 2010
The 2010 United States House of Representatives elections, also known as the 2010 midterm elections, were held on November 2, 2010, at the midpoint of President Barack Obama's first term in office. Voters of the 50 U.S. states chose 435 U.S. Representatives. Voters of the U.S...
, the Conservative Party netted 267,939 votes, the fourth-most of any political party nationwide (behind only the Republicans, Democrats and Libertarians and ahead of the Green and Constitution Parties) despite having operations in only one state. As of November 1, 2011, a total of 147,993 voters are registered with the party.
History
The Conservative Party of New York State was founded in 1962 by a group including J. Daniel MahoneyJ. Daniel Mahoney
John Daniel Mahoney was a New York-based judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit....
, Charles E. Rice
Charles E. Rice
Charles Edward Rice is an American legal scholar, Catholic apologist, and author of several books. He is best known for his career at the Notre Dame Law School at Notre Dame, Indiana. He began teaching there in 1969, and in 2000 earned Professor Emeritus status...
, and Charles Edison
Charles Edison
Charles Edison was son of Thomas Edison to Mina, businessman, Assistant and then United States Secretary of the Navy, and served as the 42nd Governor of New Jersey.-Biography:...
, out of frustration with the perceived liberalism of the state's Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. A key consideration was New York's fusion voting, almost unique among US states, allowing candidates to accumulate separate votes from more than one party. This was being used by the Liberal Party of New York
Liberal Party of New York
The Liberal Party of New York is a minor American political party that has been active only in the state of New York. Its platform supports a standard set of social liberal policies: it supports right to abortion, increased spending on education, and universal health care.As of 2007, the Liberal...
to encourage Republican and Democratic candidates to compete for left-leaning support.
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
founder William F. Buckley
William F. Buckley, Jr.
William Frank Buckley, Jr. was an American conservative author and commentator. He founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, hosted 1,429 episodes of the television show Firing Line from 1966 until 1999, and was a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. His writing was noted for...
, who served as the party's candidate for mayor of New York City
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
in 1965. In 1970, William's brother James Buckley
James L. Buckley
James Lane Buckley is a retired judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and previously served as a United States Senator from the state of New York as a member of the Conservative Party of New York from January 3, 1971 to January 3, 1977...
was elected to the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
as a Conservative Party candidate; in 1976, he ran for reelection as a candidate of the Republican and Conservative Parties, losing to Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Daniel Patrick "Pat" Moynihan was an American politician and sociologist. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected to the United States Senate for New York in 1976, and was re-elected three times . He declined to run for re-election in 2000...
. In the 2004 U.S. Senate election
United States Senate elections, 2004
The United States Senate election, 2004 was an election for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate which coincided with the re-election of George W. Bush as president and the United States House election, as well as many state and local elections. Senators who were elected in 1998,...
, the Conservative Party endorsed Marilyn O'Grady to oppose Republican candidate Howard Mills and incumbent Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Senator Charles Schumer
Charles Schumer
Charles Ellis "Chuck" Schumer is the senior United States Senator from New York and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected in 1998, he defeated three-term Republican incumbent Al D'Amato by a margin of 55%–44%. He was easily re-elected in 2004 by a margin of 71%–24% and in 2010 by a...
.
The Conservative Party of New York State has often been aligned with Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
voters and candidates.
| Chair | Tenure | Hometown while serving |
|---|---|---|
| Kieran E. O'Doherty | February 1962 – July 1962 | Manhattan Manhattan Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York... |
| J. Daniel Mahoney J. Daniel Mahoney John Daniel Mahoney was a New York-based judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.... |
July 1962 – April 1986 | Manhattan Manhattan Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York... |
| Serphin R. Maltese Serphin Maltese Serphin R. Maltese is a former Republican New York State Senator representing New York's 15th State Senate District, located in southern and central Queens. From 1986 to 1988, he was the chairman of the Conservative Party of New York.... |
April 1986 – December 1988 | Queens Queens Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States.... |
| Michael R. Long | December 1988 – present | Brooklyn Brooklyn Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated... |
Strategy
Rather than nominating its own candidates, the Conservative Party usually endorses the same candidates as the Republican Party and campaigns against the Democratic candidates. It withholds this support from the Republicans if it deems them too liberal. For example, the Conservative Party withheld its support from Republican Rudy GiulianiRudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
's fusion
Electoral fusion
Electoral fusion is an arrangement where two or more political parties on a ballot list the same candidate, pooling the votes for that candidate...
campaigns with endorsement from the Liberal Party for New York City mayor in 1989, 1993 and 1997. The decision not to endorse party-switching Syracuse state Senator Nancy Larraine Hoffmann
Nancy Larraine Hoffmann
Nancy Larraine Hoffmann is a former Republican State Senator from Central New York State.-Career:She was first elected in 1984 to the New York State Senate representing Syracuse, New York and its surrounding environs, including suburbs and rural areas, as a Democrat...
cost the GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
that seat in the 2004 election. However it has also endorsed Democratic candidates as well, such as controversial former Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
mayor and presidential candidate Jimmy Griffin, who was initially elected mayor solely on the Conservative ticket but had Republican support as well for his subsequent campaigns. It also cross-endorsed such Democrats as former Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
District Attorney
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is a federal district court. Appeals from the Southern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case...
Frank Hogan
Frank Hogan
Frank Smithwick Hogan was an American lawyer and politician from New York. Dubbed "Mr. Integrity" due to his perceived honesty and incorruptibility, he was D.A. of New York County for more than 30 years.-Life and career:...
and Capital District
New York's 21st congressional district
The 21st Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives that contains most of the Capital District of New York. It includes all or parts of Albany, Fulton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Schoharie counties...
Congressman Michael McNulty
Michael R. McNulty
Michael Robert "Mike" McNulty is a politician from the U.S. state of New York. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1989 to 2009, initially representing New York's 23rd congressional district and then, after redistricting, New York's 21st congressional district...
. No Republican has won statewide office in New York without Conservative Party support since 1974.
1990 gubernatorial election
Herb London was the Conservative Party's nominee for Governor of New York in 1990New York gubernatorial election, 1990
The 1990 New York gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1990 to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York.-Results:...
; that year, the Party broke from the Republican Party, declining to cross-endorse Republican nominee Pierre Rinfret. London ran a strong campaign statewide and finished one percentage point behind Rinfret, while Democratic Governor Mario Cuomo
Mario Cuomo
Mario Matthew Cuomo served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994, and is the father of Andrew Cuomo, the current governor of New York.-Early life:...
easily won re-election.
2006 elections
The party lobbied against Jeanine PirroJeanine Pirro
Jeanine Ferris Pirro is a former prosecutor, judge, and elected official from the state of New York, who is currently a legal analyst and television personality. A Republican from Westchester County, Pirro served as a county court judge before serving as the elected District Attorney of...
's candidacy for the 2006 Senate election against Hillary Clinton. Pirro was a liberal Republican and was supported by Governor George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
and other GOP leaders who saw her as the only candidate who could compete against Clinton. Under pressure from the Conservative Party and factions within the GOP, Pirro withdrew from the race in November 2005 to run for state attorney general (this time, with the endorsement of the Conservative Party). She was defeated in that race by Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
. Most Conservative Party state and county leaders supported John Spencer
John Spencer (politician)
John Spencer is the former Mayor of Yonkers, New York . He was the 2006 Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from New York and lost to incumbent Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton.-Early life, military service and education:...
, former mayor of Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
. While Spencer received the Republican nomination, he was defeated by Clinton in the general election.
In the race for Governor, Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long endorsed John Faso
John Faso
John Faso was the Republican nominee for Governor of New York in 2006, and was defeated by Democratic nominee Eliot Spitzer in the largest defeat for a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state's history. This followed his loss to Alan Hevesi four years earlier in his run for State Comptroller...
, the former Assembly Minority Leader and Republican State Comptroller
New York State Comptroller
The New York State Comptroller is a state cabinet officer of the U.S. state of New York. The duties of the comptroller include auditing government operations and operating the state's retirement system.-History:...
nominee in 2002. Faso also received the endorsements of county branches of the Conservative Party. Bill Weld
William Weld
William Floyd Weld is a former governor of the US state of Massachusetts. He served as that state's 68th governor from 1991 to 1997. From 1981 to 1988, he was a federal prosecutor in the United States Justice Department...
, John Faso
John Faso
John Faso was the Republican nominee for Governor of New York in 2006, and was defeated by Democratic nominee Eliot Spitzer in the largest defeat for a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state's history. This followed his loss to Alan Hevesi four years earlier in his run for State Comptroller...
's primary contender, received lukewarm support from the Conservative Party due to his support of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
and same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
; Weld considered running on the Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
ticket. Faso was the nominee of both the Republican and Conservative parties, but was defeated by Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
.
2008 presidential election
The Conservative Party nominated Republican candidates John McCainJohn McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
and Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
for president and vice president in the 2008 election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
.
2009 elections
The Conservative Party nominated Doug HoffmanDoug Hoffman
Douglas L. "Doug" Hoffman is an American businessman, accountant and former congressional candidate. He was the Conservative Party candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2009 special election for New York's 23rd congressional district. On November 3, 2009, he was defeated by...
for the special congressional election in the 23rd congressional district
New York's 23rd congressional district
The 23rd Congressional District of New York is New York's northernmost congressional district for the United States House of Representatives. The district includes all or parts of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties. It...
, an election won by the Democratic nominee, Bill Owens. The Conservative Party chose Hoffman, a fiscal and social conservative, in reaction to the Republican Party's nomination of pro-choice, pro-same-sex-marriage, pro-union Assemblymember Dede Scozzafava, who Chairman Mike Long declared to be a "nice lady who is too liberal." On October 31, 2009, Dede Scozzafava suspended her campaign, leading prominent Republicans such as national chairman Michael Steele to endorse Hoffman. The final election results showed that Owens prevailed over Hoffman by a margin of 48.3% to 46%. According to one commentator, "tea party conservatives see the GOP loss as a victory for conservativism over mere political party loyalty. They’re describing the defeat as a warning shot fired in defense of principle." In addition, elected officials and observers opined that the congressional race had an impact on the New York State Senate's December 2, 2009 vote against same-sex marriage legislation.
Stephen Christopher, the party's nominee for Mayor of New York City
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
, came in third in that race with 1.7% of the vote. The party's nominees for Public Advocate and Comptroller also came in third with 3.5% and 2.3% of the vote respectively. http://www.vote.nyc.ny.us/pdf/results/2009/General/3.11CitywideComptrollerRecap.pdf
2010 actions
Party chairman Michael Long publicly endorsed Rick LazioRick Lazio
Enrico Anthony "Rick" Lazio is a former U.S. Representative from the state of New York. Lazio became well known nationally when he ran against Hillary Rodham Clinton for the U.S. Senate in New York's 2000 Senate election...
for the New York gubernatorial election, 2010
New York gubernatorial election, 2010
The New York gubernatorial election of 2010 was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, to elect the Governor of New York, who will serve a four-year term to begin in January 2011. Incumbent Democratic Governor David Paterson, elected as Lieutenant Governor in 2006 as the running mate of former Governor...
, and directed his allies to do the same. However, several county chairmen refused, and coalesced behind vice chairman Ralph Lorigo to assure Lazio would have a Conservative Party primary opponent. Long sent a letter demanding Lorigo to either cease his gubernatorial campaign or resign his position within the party, accusing him of being a stalking horse
Stalking horse
A stalking horse is a person who tests a concept with someone or mounts a challenge against them on behalf of an anonymous third party. If the idea proves viable and/or popular, the anonymous figure can then declare their interest and advance the concept with little risk of failure...
for another candidate, Carl Paladino
Carl Paladino
Carl Pasquale Paladino is an American businessman and political activist from Buffalo, New York. Paladino is the founder and chairman of Ellicott Development Company, a real estate development company he founded in 1973. He was the 2010 Republican nominee for the New York gubernatorial election,...
, whom Long refused to consider (an allegation that, to this point, Lorigo has at least publicly denied, though his campaign is being run by family members of the Paladino campaign). Long did not state any consequences for refusing to do so. The Conservative Party insisted it would continue to campaign for Lazio regardless of whether or not he won the Republican primary, assuming that he would win the Conservative Party primary; if he had lost both primaries, which Long dismissed as an impossibility, he would have been off the ballot. The presence of Lorigo on the primary ballot had no effect on the party's eagerness to promote Lazio as their presumed candidate.
Lazio defeated Lorigo in the primary election by a roughly 60-40 margin, though write-in candidates were significant in several upstate counties, many of which voted for Lorigo over Lazio. Paladino defeated Lazio in the Republican primary. Since that time, Long has barred Lorigo from party meetings. Lazio dropped out of the race on September 27, requiring a vacancy committee to convene and select a replacement; Lorigo claims that Suffolk County chairman Ed Walsh held a meeting among his party's members that claimed a 90 percent support rate, at odds with Long's claims. Long eventually endorsed Paladino, and the vacancy committee followed, placing Paladino on the line.
Paladino eventually drew 232,264 votes on the Conservative Party line, propelling the party past the Independence Party of New York
Independence Party of New York
The Independence Party is an affiliate in the U.S. state of New York of the Independence Party of America. The party was founded in 1991 by Dr. Gordon Black, Tom Golisano, and Laureen Oliver from Rochester, New York, and acquired ballot status in 1994...
to retake Line C for the first time since the 1998 elections. The surge came at the expense of Paladino's Taxpayers Party, which did not qualify for automatic ballot access.
External links
- The Conservative Party of New York State.
- BUCKLEY, James Lane (1923-) Biographical Information, Congressional biography, the Conservative Party's former U.S. Senator.
- Book review of Fighting the Good Fight: A History of the New York Conservative Party by George Marlin.