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By: Ilana Siyance
New York State’s Conservative Party leaders are endorsing former President Donald Trump for the upcoming presidential election, ahead of Tuesday’s New Hampshire Republican Party primary. As reported by the NY Post, the 77-year-old controversial business tycoon has strong support from rank-and-file members of the conservative party. “The evidence is there’s overwhelming support in the Conservative Party for Donald Trump,” state Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar said. “I personally support Donald Trump again for president,” Kassar told The Post.
Kassar said Trump would support issues important to members, including curbing illegal immigration and closing off the US-Mexico border which has created a migrant crisis under President Joe Biden. “There’s no place that can handle the population of migrants coming into the country. The numbers of migrants arriving here is way past what’s manageable. Allowing everyone in is not a policy,” Kassar said. Kassar noted that the migrant crisis, fueled by Democrats and the Democratic presidency, will take years to repair, adding “but we have to start with President Trump.”
The Conservative Party is the third biggest vote-getter in New York State, trailing behind only the Democratic and Republican Parties, earning it line C on ballots. The Conservative party doesn’t always back Republican candidates, but it often does, especially in presidential elections. Kassar said Conservative leaders in NY’s 62 counties are deciding on their own who to back for president. He said 10 counties have already endorsed Trump, and many more will soon decide the same.
“President Trump’s strength as our country’s leader kept the United States, and particularly our borders secure. Now we are confronted with leaders on a national and state level who are allowing the United States to be overrun by illegal migrants, our international standing to be marginalized, and our military to be demoralized,” said Grace White, Chairman of Orange County Conservative Party, which has already endorsed Trump. “Returning Donald Trump to the White House is the best tonic for what ails us.” she said.
NY’s Republican Party primary will be held later, on April 2, though it will likely not be competitive if Trump has a victory in New Hampshire. Should Trump win Tuesday’s NH primary, he will have such a strong stance that his remaining opponents, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, would likely drop out of the race.
NYS GOP chairman Ed Cox has not backed a favorite yet, saying he wants to give all Republican candidates a chance for the White House. Five of New York’s nine House Republicans, however, are already supporting Trump, The Post reported Saturday.
Kassar said support for Trump is not for lack of other qualified candidates, but rather that grassroots Conservatives admire Trump, and want to see more of the policies he set into motion during his time as president. Kassar added that DeSantis, 45, has been a “super” governor of Florida but that it’s “not his time”.
Polls show that Mr. Trump has a comfortable lead in the upcoming New Hampshire GOP primary, over top rival Haley. A new CNN poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire, shows that Trump enjoys 50% support among likely Republican primary voters in NH, while Haley holds 39%. Haley, who has experience as the former US Ambassador to the UN, can get ahead if a big number of Independent voters turn out to vote in the GOP primary.
