New York State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt opened his remarks at the New York State Republican Convention by pointing to Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine as proof that Republicans can win, and govern, in dark blue New York.
“Ed Romaine did a great job,” Ortt told delegates gathered at the Garden City Hotel in Nassau County. “His victory in Suffolk wasn’t an accident. It was about leadership, it was about results, and it was about giving people a real alternative. What happened in Suffolk can be replicated statewide.”
Ortt said Romaine’s win showed that even in competitive counties, voters are willing to back Republican candidates who focus on public safety and fiscal discipline. “People want a better way forward,” he said. “They want common-sense government, and when we offer it, they respond.”
The convention formally nominated Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman as the GOP candidate for governor to challenge Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul. Ortt framed the race as pivotal for the direction of the state.
“We can’t just wait for the pendulum to swing,” Ortt said. “We’ve got to swing it back ourselves. And that starts by electing Bruce Blakeman Governor.”
Ortt was sharply critical of Democratic leadership in Albany, arguing that power rests with legislative majorities rather than solely with the governor.
“The fastest way to change the direction of this state is to change the makeup of the Legislature,” he said. “We need more Republican senators. We need more Republican assembly members.”
He predicted that a Blakeman victory would have a ripple effect. “When Bruce wins, there will be wins down ballot,” Ortt said. “New York needs us. This is the year we step up.”
Blakeman, in brief remarks following his nomination, pledged to focus on affordability, public safety and economic growth as themes of his campaign.