NY GOP shifts into feud mode

Despite the survival of GOP strongholds in Suffolk and Nassau counties, the New York State Republican organization emerged from Tuesday's blue-wave election sadder and more splintered than before.

President Donald Trump's unheard-of instruction to subordinates to make the midterms all about him proved destructive. Seasoned GOP operatives from New York saw some of their best strategic advice blithely dismissed by the White House.

One year ago this week, Rep. Elise Stefanik was announcing her candidacy for governor and rapidly nailing down support from county chairs across the state. GOP chairman Ed Cox called her "a unifier and a party builder with the brains, the guts and the resources to win statewide next year."

"There will not be a Republican primary, and a year from now, Elise will lead our team to victory over Kathy Hochul, end one-party Democrat rule, and make New York affordable again," Cox said.

But early in December, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, with Trump's blessing, announced his candidacy. Stefanik backed off and withdrew less than two weeks later. Trump then posted his "Complete and Total Endorsement" of Blakeman on Truth Social.

Blakeman atop the Republican ticket was hyped as a help to the party's push to unseat Democratic Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen and help Rep. Mike Lawler survive a hard challenge. None of it worked. Blakeman was beaten by 20 points and even lost his home county plus Suffolk.

No coat, no coattails.

Unsurprisingly, Stefanik, who avoided comment during the campaign, is lashing out in the wake of the disaster.

"The state party apparatus is broken. It needs to be rebuilt from scratch," she told The New York Post, acidly citing Blakeman's "low energy campaign with limited resources."

That would seem like a detached enough judgment. But Blakeman spitefully shot back on X, calling Stefanik a "selfish, do nothing politician that didn't lift a finger to help Republican candidates in New York this year. She had one moment of glory in an otherwise unremarkable career."

Not only in the governor's race did White House meddling have a potentially destabilizing impact. Longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone, convicted in 2019 of witness tampering and obstructing a congressional investigation, got the president who pardoned him to endorse businessman Anthony Constantino, CEO of Sticker Mule, for the seat Stefanik is leaving. He's known for a huge pro-Trump sign on his upstate building and profane smears of critics. Constantino won, but not before an unexpectedly razor-close challenge from Democrat Blake Gendebien in the deep-red district.

Constantino won a nasty primary in June. Both Cox and Conservative Party chairman Gerard Kassar backed his primary opponent, Assemb. Robert Smullen.

Now even Constantino has begun bad-mouthing the Nassau executive who campaigned with him. Constantino online blasted the New York GOP as "mostly a Con Job that helps Democrats win."

Blakeman replied: "Anthony Constantino was by far the worst candidate I ever encountered. I ran way ahead of him in his District and if it weren't for me he wouldn't have won. See you in two years, pal."

Constantino then called Blakeman "a perpetual wannabe who lost by a lot because he's lazy, dumb and pretentious."

Ironically, Long Island and upstate House seats ended up making little difference in the war for the congressional majority. As of late Thursday, Democrats were expected to hold a 98-seat advantage next year, with their margin likely to grow larger.

Even as they pursue their food fight, Blakeman, Constantino and Stefanik seem reluctant to blame Trump for his role in the blue wave. Instead of sharing an electoral feast, they're fighting over crumbs of pride.

Columnist Dan Janison's opinions are his own.

By Dan Janison

dan.janison@newsday.comDanJanison

Dan Janison is a member of the Newsday editorial board.