Connect with us

Politics

Rockland County GOP Chairman Lawrence Garvey Announces Campaign for NYGOP Chair

Published

on

A man at the podium talking

New City, NY… Rockland County Republican Chairman Lawrence Garvey today announced his campaign for New York Republican State Committee Chair in a letter to County Chairs, Committee Members and Republican leaders and activists across the state.

Chairman Garvey said, “We proudly stand up for our values in Rockland and successfully pull voters across the aisle each and every election to win. As we reflect on the 2022 elections, it’s imperative that we look at the full picture. The positives and the negatives, in order to move forward and build a brighter future for our Republican Party. We must take account of the massive strides we have made, not just on a statewide level, but in each of our respective counties. Our gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin came within 330,000 votes of beating Kathy Hochul. As Republicans across our state, we helped elect and re-elect 11 Republican Members of Congress – the most since 2000. We helped elect and re-elect Senators and Assemblymembers across the Empire State. Together, we will build on what worked, fix what didn’t and elect more Republicans up and down the ballot.”

In the letter, which you can read below, Garvey outlines his record of success in flipping and keeping seats red in Rockland County, including Michael Lawler defeating the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Sean Patrick Maloney, Bill Weber taking down incumbent Elijah Melnick and electing John McGowan to Lawler’s former Assembly seat. In a county with a 2:1 Democrat to Republican enrollment disadvantage and a 1:1 Independent to Republican enrollment, Chairman Garvey and Rockland Republicans have consistently won races year after year. The County Executive is a Republican and 3 of the 5 towns are now in Republican hands. He also outlines his vision for the path forward for the NYGOP and replicate Rockland’s success across the state.

 

Dear Fellow Chairs and Committee People,

I hope this letter finds you well and healthy this holiday season. I’ve been speaking with many of

you and I wanted you, as a Party leader and activist, to be among the first to know, I’m running for

Chairman of our New York Republican State Committee (NYGOP.)

As we reflect on the 2022 elections, it’s imperative that we look at the full picture. The positives

and the negatives, in order to move forward and build a brighter future for our Republican Party. We must take account of the massive strides we have made, not just on a statewide level, but in each of our respective counties. Our gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin came within 330,000 votes of beating Kathy Hochul. As Republicans across our state, we helped elect and re-elect 11 Republican Members of Congress – the most since 2000. We helped elect and re-elect Senators and Assemblymembers across the Empire State. Together, we made countless phone calls and knocked on even more doors to get our Republicans across the finish line.

In Rockland, where I’ve had the honor of being Chairman for the last 9 years, we had a fantastic

year. Michael Lawler slayed the proverbial dragon and head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Sean Patrick Maloney. Our Congressman-Elect will be taking office in January and we couldn’t be more proud. Bill Weber, our now Senator-Elect, worked hard to take down incumbent Elijah Melnik and we’re excited to see all that Bill does for the people of Rockland. We also elected John McGowan to Michael Lawler’s former Assembly seat. John’s a popular Legislator who will now head to Albany on our behalf. In a county where we have a 2:1 Democrat to Republican enrollment disadvantage and a 1:1 Independent to Republican enrollment, we have consistently won races year after year. Our County Executive is a Republican and 3 of the 5 towns are in Republican hands. We proudly stand up for our values in Rockland and successfully pull voters across the aisle each and every election to win.

This is the mentality we must bring statewide. In a Democratic state, we must work harder and

smarter to attract voters from all backgrounds, all political persuasions, all religions, all corners of our state. Our focus must be to even the playing field and that begins with voter registration drives. It’s critical that we grow. New Yorkers believe in our message and they agree with our principles, let’s enroll them and make it official!

Our Party must build a significant fundraising foundation. High dollar and low dollar donors

alike. Not just to operate, but to help our Counties to grow their respective coffers too! With the new Campaign Finance Matching Program being implemented by the State Board of elections, the NYGOP must be a resource for all County Chairs and elected officials. Under my Chairmanship, the State Party would look to support the County Parties, not the other way around.

And we must go back to basics, building a ground game that is untouchable and unstoppable.

An organized base of individuals that works to spread our Republican message with the ultimate goal of electing more Republicans from Village Board to Governor. We must focus on recruiting and supporting Republicans at all levels, and build a strong bench across the state.

Communication and coordination is key. My pledge to you is that as Chairman, I will implement

policies that ensure constant and timely communication, and make sure every single Committee

Member and Chair can meaningfully participate in the functions of our State Party and that you have a seat at the table. You will be involved in the process, every step of the way. We will be a grassroots led party from the ground up – not from the top down. I won’t be calling you to inform you of what’s happening, I will be calling you before anything happens to get your input so we can move our party forward together, as a statewide team.

I believe in our Party’s future and I’m not giving up on our beloved New York State. I’m

running for NYGOP Chairman to build off of the successes we have had and make our Party the force I know it can be. Stand with me and we will strengthen our county organizations and our NYGOP.

 

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Politics

Brett Yagel Announces Candidacy for New York State Assembly in 96th District

Published

on

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Brett Yagel, the former Mayor of the Village of Pomona has officially announced his candidacy for the New York State Assembly in the 96th District.

Below you can read Yagel’s full announcement:

“I am proud to announce that I am seeking the support of the Republican and Conservative Parties as a candidate for the New York State Assembly in the 96th District.
I am not a career politician. I am a problem solver. As Mayor and as a professional working for one of the world’s largest defense contractors, I have spent my career focused on results, accountability, and getting complex jobs done the right way. Leadership and responsibility are not abstract concepts to me. They are values I have lived every day in public service and in the private sector.

Albany is broken. It is dominated by career politicians who create problems, expand government, and then ask for more power to fix the very messes they created. The people of the 96th District deserve better than politics as usual.

Our district needs a leader with real world experience, common sense, and the courage to challenge the status quo. I am ready to bring accountability, fiscal responsibility, and practical,
results driven solutions to Albany. Most importantly, I will be a strong and independent voice for the hardworking families of the 96th District.

If you are tired of excuses and ready for real results, I would be honored to earn your support.”

Yagel will running against incumbent Assemblyman Patrick Carroll.

Continue Reading

Politics

Congressman Mike Lawler Announces Bid for Reelection to Congress, Will Not Run for Governor

Published

on

Rockland County, NY — Congressman Mike Lawler, a lifelong Rockland County resident and graduate of Suffern High School, officially announced today that he will seek reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives, putting to rest speculation that he might enter the race for Governor of New York.

Lawler, who represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, said his decision to remain focused on Congress reflects his commitment to continuing the work he’s started on behalf of Hudson Valley residents. Since taking office in January 2023, Lawler’s office has closed over 6,000 constituent service cases and successfully returned more than $27.2 million to residents throughout the district.

One of his signature achievements has been his leadership in reforming the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap. Under Lawler’s advocacy, the SALT cap was quadrupled to $40,000, providing significant tax relief to middle-class families across the region for the next ten years.

Lawler’s decision not to run for governor preserves his role as a key Republican voice in a competitive swing district, and positions him for what is expected to be a closely watched race in 2026.
About Congressman Mike Lawler:

New York’s 17th Congressional District, includes Rockland and portions of Westchester and Putnam County.

Continue Reading

Trending