New York Republicans are furious after a disastrous election night that saw Democrats sweep the state. The anger is now squarely aimed at State Party Chairman Ed Cox, with insiders and elected officials demanding his immediate removal. Some are even looking to replace him with outgoing Rep. Mike Lawler, despite Lawler losing his own reelection bid on Tuesday.
The backlash comes just two days after Democrats shellacked Republicans statewide. On Thursday, a New York GOP insider told The Post “I think a lot of people really want Ed Cox’s head.” Another source added that “People have been complaining about Ed Cox for a while now,” noting there is already movement behind the scenes to get rid of him, according to the New York Post.
Blakeman and Constantino Lead the Charge
Failed gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman and newly elected Assemblyman Anthony Constantino are leading the vocal push against the party establishment. Blakeman, who lost to Gov. Kathy Hochul by 20 percentage points in a 60.1% to 39.7% vote, took to X on Thursday to blast Elise Stefanik for not helping his campaign. He wrote, “Elise Stefanik is a selfish, do nothing politician that didn’t lift a finger to help Republican candidates in New York this year.”
Blakeman went further, stating, according to the New York Post, “She had one moment of glory in what was otherwise an unremarkable career.” Meanwhile, Constantino, one of the few Republican winners in District 21, demanded Cox’s firing hours after his own victory. He posted, “I am with the people and insist we rebuild the Party. Fire Ed Cox!” and called the state establishment “a group of scammers.”
Cox, who is 80 years old, has led the New York Republican Party for most of the last 20 years. His tenure has been marked by Democratic dominance, a trend that accelerated on Tuesday. The losses were severe, with Gov. Hochul crushing Blakeman by 20 points, a far cry from the 6-point margin Lee Zeldin managed in 2002.
Lawler’s Name Surfaces as Possible Successor
This proposal comes just days after Lawler lost his seat in District 17 to liberal challenger Cait Conley. The district, once a battleground, turned out for Democrats, marking a significant shift in the region.
The losses weren’t limited to state offices. Long Island’s Republican stronghold of Hempstead flipped blue, with Democrat Joe Scianablo defeating John Ferretti in a stunning three-point victory. Hempstead’s blue flip ends over a century of Republican leadership in the county. Democrats are also on track to take the town clerk job, further cementing their hold on Nassau County.
Strategist O.B. O’Brien told The Post that “Unfortunately for Republicans, local issues were overshadowed by national issues, an affordability message that Democrats delivered to voters.” Another source noted that “Democrats across New York and the country showed up like President Trump was on the ballot,” highlighting the massive turnout that overwhelmed GOP efforts, according to the New York Post.
The next step for the battered party is unclear, but the pressure on Cox is immediate. With the election results finalizing and the internal finger-pointing escalating, the Republican Party in New York faces a critical moment to decide if it can rebuild or if the current leadership will be forced out.
This is opinion and commentary from the RapForMayor team.
