Bronx GOP
# Bronx GOP

The Bronx GOP is a regional affiliate of the United States Republican Party for the Borough of the Bronx in New York City, New York.

## Leadership

Unlike most other county affiliates for the Republican Party, mostly due to the small size of the the Bronx GOP, they do not maintain a committee, instead simply having a chairman and a leader for each seat in the New York State Assembly.

The Current Chairman is Michael Rendino, who was re-elected to the office in 2019.

## History

### Malcolm Smith bribery scandal

On April 2, 2013, the party's chairman Joseph J. Savino was arrested on charges of corruption for accepting a bribe from Democratic State Senator Malcolm Smith to secure the Republican nomination for the 2013 New York City mayoral election. He would be succeeded by John Greaney, a former civil employee who raised concerns as he was a personal friend of Savino and had thousands of dollars of debt.

### 2016 election

During the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries, the New York Republican State Committee awarded 3 delegates to the Republicans of the 15th district which is solely in the Bronx. Meaning the small Bronx Republican party suddenly found themselves in the midst of a heated race between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump to secure their delegates. With just 10,000 active voters, and only 7 members of their committee, the Bronx GOP backed Donald Trump, in part due to the Trump Links golf course at Ferry Point Park which improved the local economy, and in part because Ted Cruz did not tell the party he would be visiting the Bronx, with a Democratic State Senator.

### 2020 election

In 2020, Donald Trump received 15.7% of the Borough's vote, compared to 9.4% in 2016, which was the steepest pro-Trump increase across the city, which saw a general pro-Republican trend during the election.

### 2021 election

During the 2021 New York City mayoral election, the party endorsed Fernando Mateo for the Republican nomination. Mateo, the spokesmen for Hispanics Across America, and the state Federation of Taxi Drivers, was the first latino immigrant to run for mayor as a Republican. Despite another endrosement from the Queens Republican Party, Mateo would be unable to secure the third endorsement to become candidate, instead Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island's party would endorse Curtis Sliwa.

### 2022 election

In the 2022 election for District 14, the Bronx GOP stood a candidate, Tina Forte, which defeated Queens Republican Desi Joseph Cuellar in a primary to go on to face Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Cortez would handily win 70% to 23%.

### 2023 election

Despite the party's small size, they have undergone a concerted effort to launch a competitive campaign for the 13th city council district held by first term councilwoman Marjorie Velázquez. Kristy Marmorato, chairman Michael Rendino's sister, won the party's primary, in a move that has been decried as nepotism, despite Rendino having no say in the primary. George Havranek, Marmorato challenger in the primary, was also accused of committing electoral fraud by forging signatures, and admitted to donating to Velázquez's campaign in 2021. Marmorato would go on to win after a run-off election, and secure the endorsement of the Conservative Party. The City has assessed the campaign will be close due to the local Hispanic population shifting away from Velázquez due to the ongoing housing crisis.

In the 17th District, the Bronx GOP candidate, Rosalie Nieves, is running unopposed and will face off against incumbent democrat Rafael Salamanca, and Gonzalo Duran, Salamanca's democratic challenger who has secured the Conservative Party's nomination.

## Elected officials

As of 2023, the Bronx GOP has no elected officials in the New York Senate, New York House of Representatives, Mayor of New York, or New York City Council.

The last Republican city councilmen in the Bronx was Joseph Savino Jr., who left office in 1983 and was a councilman at-large, an office that does not exist anymore. There has never been a Republican Borough president of the Bronx.

