There could be a major shakeup in the leadership of the Republican Party in New York state this summer. Onondaga County Republican Party Chair Tom Dadey is among those calling for a change atop the party leadership in the state.
Ed Cox, a 72-year old Wall Street lawyer and son-in-law of former President Richard Nixon, is facing a spirited race from Nick Langworthy, who heads the Erie County Republican Party. Cox has held his position for the last decade, and Dadey said no Republican has won a statewide race during that time.
“There’s an appetite for change,” Dadey said. “Ed’s been there for 10 years, and it’s kind of time to move in a different direction and pick a new leader.”
Dadey said Langworthy has had success at fielding winning Republicans in a blue county and appeals to younger voters. The new focus will help Republicans prepare for upcoming elections, Dadey said.
“We’re well into 2019,” Dadey said. “We need to get this behind us and move forward so the party can focus on not only 2019 elections, which will be here before you now it, which are mainly local elections, but also 2020.”
A weighted vote based on a county’s GOP enrollment determines who wins. Langworthy and Cox have been crisscrossing the state looking for local GOP support. So far, Langworthy has the support of major upstate counties, including Albany, Onondaga and Erie, while Cox has the support of Long Island and Westchester County. Democrats have more than a 2:1 enrollment edge in New York state.
