It was standing room only at a packed fundraiser hosted by Suffolk GOP Chairman Jesse Garcia at Flowerfield in St. James. The impressive crowd was matched by a strong roster of elected officials in one of the strongest Republican counties in a state dominated by Democrats.
“For the first time in decades, Republicans hold the highest office in Suffolk County government, including a veto-proof majority in the legislature,” Garcia said, introducing County Executive Ed Romaine, Clerk Vince Puleo, and District Attorney Ray Tierney, who is leading the GOP ticket in this year’s election. Garcia framed the 2025 contests as a springboard to next year's races, where Rep. Elise Stefanik is expected to take on Kathy Hochul for governor.
“I may be from upstate, but we are all New Yorkers, and we must say goodbye to Kathy Hochul,” Stefanik told a cheering crowd. “She’s the worst governor in New York history, worse than Andrew Cuomo. Her policies are tax and spend, open borders, and wars on energy and law enforcement.” Calling Hochul an “accidental governor” after taking over the seat when Cuomo left under a cloud of sexual harassment charges, Stefanik said she is “bending a knee to Commie Man Zohran Mamdani,” the Democrat candidate for New York mayor. “We need to stop them to save our state.”
“Elise Stefanik has heard our SOS—Save Our State, Save Our Suffolk,” Romaine said. “She could have been ambassador to the United Nations, but is staying here in New York to help us turn this state around.”
“We are the most important county in the state,” said Tierney, who has waged a war with Hochul and the Democrat policies of cashless bail, defund the police, and weak drug laws. “We have a fabulous slate of candidates, and I am blessed to run with them. We will win and we will get back to work to make this county better.”
“We are at the tip of the spear to make sure Suffolk doesn’t end up with leaders like Mamdani, Garcia stated. “We have a super majority in the legislature and we’re aiming for more, maybe 15 Republicans,” he said of the 18-member body that used to be controlled by Democrats under former County Executive Steven Bellone. “We will fight to make Suffolk safer and more affordable. We will take more seats in Congress and defend what we have. We will preserve our suburban way of life.”
Rep. Andrew Garbarino said he was honored to be chair of Homeland Security, a committee formed in the wake of the 9-11 attacks. “It’s important to have a New Yorker in that role. What scares me is what Mamdani, Hochul, and the Democrats are doing in support of the illegal immigrants. We have thousands of terrorists in this country because of Joe Biden, and the Democrats are fighting us tooth and nail. As committee chairman, I promise to do whatever it takes to keep us safe.”
Also speaking at the event was state Senate GOP Leader Robert Ortt, who stood at the podium with the three Republican senators from Suffolk: Mario Materra, Dean Murray, and Anthony Palumbo. “Together, we make a powerful team in fighting the destructive policies of the Democrats,” Ortt said. “We stand for safer streets, lower taxes and fees, and no illegal immigration—the opposite of what the Democrats stand for.”
“The huge show of support both locally and from the state and national leadership is a testament to the power of the Suffolk GOP and its ability to win elections,” said Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, who noted how close Shirley resident and former state senator and Congressman Lee Zeldin came to beating Hochul in 2022. “We will deliver big next year for the GOP in the state and federal elections.”