Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

NYS GOP Chair: Ryan Will "Play Well" in New York Races

The head of the State’s Republican Party predicts that the choice of Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney’s Vice Presidential candidate will be helpful in some portions of New York State.

New York’s GOP Chair Ed Cox says Ryan’s position as number two on the Republican ticket in November could aid the GOP congressional candidates around the state, who are already identified as strong fiscal conservatives.

“I think it’s going to play very well in New York State, “said Cox.  

Cox says Ryan’s Wisconsin district is similar, demographically, to Central and Western New York, where there are contested congressional races, and he thinks Republicans can retain or pick up seats there. He points out that in the last election, in 2010, blue New York  gained six GOP congressional representatives, more than any other state.  

The Republican Party Chair says he does not think Romney’s VP choice will have as much of an effect on State Senate races, where the GOP holds a slim majority, saying those races are decided on more local issues.

Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau chief for the New York Public News Network, composed of a dozen newsrooms across the state. She has covered state government and politics for the network since 1990.