Did New York's GOP statewide candidates vote for Trump?

The New York Republican Party settled on its four statewide candidates: Marc Molinaro, Julie Killian, Jonathan Trichter and Keith Wofford. But that show of party unity could only go so far as New York Republicans grapple with how to win races in a state where two thirds of voters disapprove of the president.

Keith Wofford, the 2018 GOP nominee for attorney general

Keith Wofford, the 2018 GOP nominee for attorney general Jeff Coltin

The Republican candidate for governor didn’t vote for the New York-bred president of his own party. New York’s GOP candidates for lieutenant governor and comptroller won’t say which presidential candidate they voted for. Only the party’s attorney general nominee admitted to voting for Donald Trump in 2016.

The New York Republican Party settled on its four statewide candidates at its convention on Wednesday and Thursday this week. Barring any surprise petition drive, all of them will avoid primary elections. But that show of party unity could only go so far as New York Republicans grapple with how to win races in a state where two thirds of voters disapprove of the president.

New York’s Republican gubernatorial nominee, Marc Molinaro, has worked to distance himself from Trump, and has been open about the fact that he didn’t vote for the president in 2016 – instead saying he wrote in retired Rep. Chris Gibson, a fellow Republican. His newly chosen running mate, Julie Killian, brushed off reporters’ questions on Wednesday about whether she voted for Trump.

“I haven’t ever told anyone who I voted for,” she said.

The Republicans’ pick for state comptroller, Jonathan Trichter, similarly shot down a question about who he voted for in 2016.

“I’m not going on the record and I’m not discussing it,” he said. “I’m running for New York state comptroller. It’s a professional position and it shouldn’t be political. It shouldn't be ideological. I’m focusing on the issues that are specific to the office. Period, full stop.”

Trichter had been registered as a Democrat and only changed his party registration to Republican this week. Manhattan lawyer Manny Alicandro, who initially announced a run for attorney general, instead challenged Trichter for the party’s nomination at the convention on Thursday. But Alicandro failed to get support from delegates and conceded to Trichter, allowing the Manhattan-based political operative and investment banker to win the Republican ballot line in an uncontested voice vote.

Trichter will run against the Democratic incumbent Thomas DiNapoli. Trichter is running on a platform of professionalizing the office, and has said he would end the comptroller’s role as the sole trustee of the state’s $209 billion pension fund.

“It is the conventional thinking that New York state's pension system is among the best managed in the country,” Trichter said in a short acceptance speech. “The truth is, it is nothing of the kind.”

The newly anointed Republican nominee for state attorney general is Manhattan bankruptcy attorney Keith Wofford, who won the party’s nomination for AG in a tightly contested vote against Joseph Holland, who once served a commissioner under former Gov. George Pataki and now works as a lawyer and real estate developer. At 49 years old, Wofford is a political newcomer who has never run for office, but he said his experience as a managing partner at the law firm Ropes & Gray made him perfect for the job.

“We need an attorney general who knows the difference between a good lawsuit and a lousy one,” Wofford said. “But the only way that happens is if we elect someone who’s actually gone to court and won.”

The Democratic attorney general nominee, New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, has brought a number of lawsuits against the city and has lost at least one on standing.

Former state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman brought more than 100 legal or administrative actions against Trump or congressional Republicans before Schneiderman resigned earlier this month after he was accused of physically abusing multiple women. Wofford told reporters on Thursday that he voted for Trump, and that if he were elected, he would review the office’s actions against the president.

“We have to assess whether any prosecution benefits the taxpayers of the state of New York. Making national political points is not what we should be doing with the taxpayers’ money,” Wofford said.

Some Republicans argued that anybody asking questions about Trump is playing into the hand of Democrats.

“You guys are very interested in Trump, Trump, Trump,” Cox told reporters on Thursday. “So is Cuomo! Because he is running for president. So he’s going after Trump!”

Pataki, the last Republican to hold statewide office, said the governor’s race has nothing to do with Trump.

“It’s about New York. It’s not about Washington. People always try to make it about something other than what it is,” he said. “This is about the future of 20 million people.”

But the president’s absence from the convention conversation spoke volumes. Trump was in Manhattan on Wednesday night, but did not attend the New York GOP’s gala dinner. Instead, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, a Republican critic of Trump who did not vote for the president, keynoted the gala. Over the two days of the convention, not a one “Make America Great Again” hat was seen in the hall. A single pro-Trump pin was spotted on a lapel.

However, in the first speech of the convention on Wednesday morning, Manhattan Republican Chairwoman Andrea Catsimatidis did shout out the president.

“Our great president Donald J. Trump is an elected Manhattan Republican, and I am proud to support him!” she said.

But over two days and countless speeches, it was the last time the president’s name was mentioned on stage.

Correction: The words of Jonathan Trichter's acceptance speech have been corrected.

X
This website uses cookies to enhance user experience and to analyze performance and traffic on our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Learn More / Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Accept Cookies
X
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference. You cannot opt-out of our First Party Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting the cookie banner and remembering your settings, to log into your account, to redirect you when you log out, etc.). For more information about the First and Third Party Cookies used please follow this link.

Allow All Cookies

Manage Consent Preferences

Strictly Necessary Cookies - Always Active

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data, Targeting & Social Media Cookies

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information to third parties. These cookies collect information for analytics and to personalize your experience with targeted ads. You may exercise your right to opt out of the sale of personal information by using this toggle switch. If you opt out we will not be able to offer you personalised ads and will not hand over your personal information to any third parties. Additionally, you may contact our legal department for further clarification about your rights as a California consumer by using this Exercise My Rights link

If you have enabled privacy controls on your browser (such as a plugin), we have to take that as a valid request to opt-out. Therefore we would not be able to track your activity through the web. This may affect our ability to personalize ads according to your preferences.

Targeting cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Social media cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.

If you want to opt out of all of our lead reports and lists, please submit a privacy request at our Do Not Sell page.

Save Settings
Cookie Preferences Cookie List

Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Functional Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Performance Cookies

We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a “sale” of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more.

Sale of Personal Data

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Social Media Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.

Targeting Cookies

We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated “sale” of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website.