After working in government for 38 years, the last tour of duty being with state Senator Martin Golden (R – Bay Ridge, Brooklyn), Gerard Kassar was elected to the post of state Conservative party chairman in February 2019 upon the retirement of Michael Long after 31 years at the helm. Kassar is the sixth party chairman since its founding in 1962.
The Conservative Party has approximately $60,000 in its coffers with a fundraiser being planned for May 26th, according to Kassar. With a party enrollment just over 154,000, close to 300,000 New Yorkers voted for President Donald Trump last year on the Conservative party line. “I am ecstatic with that,” said Kassar.
The Conservative Party boasts 66 endorsed members in the state legislature, three more than the 63 members of the state Republican Party. Assemblymen Simcha Eichenstein (D – Borough Park, Brooklyn) and Angelo Santabarbara (D – Rotterdam, Schenectady County) as well as Senator Simcha Felder (D – Borough Park – Midwood, Brooklyn) are the only Democrats to carry the Conservative Party line in addition to all 63 Republican lawmakers.
This year Kassar, 62, is trying to advance legislation to make it easier for voters to influence policy and legislation without having to run for office. One way that is popular in other states is the mechanism of Initiative and Referendum.
“Through a petition process you can initiate legislation which ends up as a referendum on the ballot or you can stop certain things by initiating a referendum which could potentially stop something from occurring,” Kassar told The Jewish Press.
“There have been many victories for the people by the people in other states on tax issues, spending issues, issues of land use or other ideas which can emanate from the people. In NYS we are very limited to constitutional amendments. They are extraordinarily difficult to accomplish. Many people in this state would like to see things a little different and I suspect with initiative and referendum we would get much more from the bottom up of what the people think because this legislature is not in tune with millions of New Yorkers. Should 49% of New Yorkers be completely out of the mix because a democratic majority of the legislature only wants to listen to proposals that emanate out of democratic districts?”
Another method Kassar is pushing is the method to recall a politician in a similar fashion to the way Israel and England have recall mechanisms. Kassar uses the current example of governor to explain his reason why this method is necessary. The recall movement encapsulates any elected official.
“Recall involves essential signatures on a petition requesting that the governor be recalled,” Kassar stated. “When you vote to recall you are not actually voting to elect a new governor. What you’re voting to do is to indicate that there should be a new election. You recall the official and then there is another election for that office while their deputy takes over. It’s almost like a vote of no confidence by the people. First you have to get the petition done.”
Referring to Governor Andrew Cuomo, Kassar said, “It does appear for many people he’s overstayed his welcome.” He is currently scouting the New York landscape for a candidate who can be acceptable to the Republican Party as well.
Among the contenders are Congressmen Lee Zeldin (R – Shirley, Suffolk County) and Tom Reed (R – Corning, Steuben County). Also in the mix is last year’s challenger to Cuomo, Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro (R – Pougkeepsie) and supermarket magnate John Catsimitidis, a self-made billionaire who can self-finance a $30 million gubernatorial campaign. The daughter of Catsimitidis, Andrea, is the New York County (Manhattan) GOP Chairwoman. “We would have to see how serious he (Catsimitidis) is about it. He is a player but I don’t know if he wants to play,” Kassar said.
“Zeldin to me offers some real strength downstate as well as populist positions upstate,” Kassar says. “I have urged Lee Zeldin to run, which does not mean I have endorsed Lee Zeldin. I am not looking to see a primary. I am looking to get this all sorted out.”
Even if Cuomo decides not to seek a fourth term, Kassar says winning an open seat for governor is within arms reach if the Republican and Conservative can endorse the same candidate.
“I feel very confident in saying there is a 40% Republican-Conservative base in the state of New York,” Kassar asserted. “Within that you need to find an additional 10, 11, 12% that have agreement but have not felt they were looking for change at that point. This is a unique situation. I am very hopeful there are a number of capable candidates. The political parties and the membership of those parties have to sort out to come up with the strongest candidate. Like I said I have been urging Lee. I believe he is moving in the direction of announcing.”
As for Cuomo’s future, you can imagine Kassar is calling for the governor not to spend one additional day in office.
“One credible incident is enough to require the removal of a governor,” Kassar said. “Some are arguing that there should be investigations. Others are saying that many members of the state legislature have lost faith in him and he does not have the ability to govern.
“An impeachment process is just that. There are hearings. There is a vote. There is a trial in the Senate. Do I believe between the two issues the nursing homes and these other scandals, there is enough there to warrant the Assembly to take that level of a look at this for a potential impeachment? Yes. I think an honorable man would resign, the governor has shown himself not to be honorable whether it be through these five or six public incidents at this point. They (the legislative leaders) have to be able to do a budget with the governor and I just find it hard to believe that the residents of NYS are not being negatively impacted by all this.”
Potential Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls Kassar sees as having a chance to oust Cuomo include Attorney General Letitia James (D – Crown Heights, Brooklyn), Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli (D – Great Neck Plaza, Nassau County) and Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul (D – Buffalo, Erie County). There is one person Kassar sees as the easiest opponent for the Conservatives to beat.
“There is one candidate that I know will be the best candidate to run against the Republican-Conservative parties, (New York City Mayor) Bill de Blasio (D – Prospect Heights, Brooklyn). I want Bill de Blasio to run as the Democratic candidate for governor,” Kassar said, as he relished with glee.
Meanwhile, with all this talk about an investigation into Cuomo’s daily office routines and alleged hostile workplace, the Assembly Judiciary Committee will weigh in on a recommendation as to whether the full Assembly should begin impeachment proceedings if the governor continues to dig in his heels and not resign. The 21-member committee needs a vote of 11 members to call for Cuomo’s resignation or impeachment for the Assembly to move forward with its proceedings. Five Democratic members and six Republican members of the committee have already tipped their hand and called for Cuomo’s ouster. It appears, if no one backtracks, the number of members calling for Cuomo’s removal from office is already a fete accompli.