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Court Clears Path For Mike Lawler And Other Elected Officials To Run For Committee Leadership
By Tina Traster
Longtime Chairman of the Rockland County Republican Committee Lawrence Garvey lost his seat Tuesday to United States Congressman Mike Lawler during a tense three-hour reorganization meeting.
The vote for the Chairmanship was 110 to 94, in Lawler’s favor, according to two sources who were at the meeting held at Town & Country in Congers. Committee members were required to either write in Lawler’s name or check a box to retain Garvey. Sources say voting members seemed to divide between the “old guard” and newer Republicans.
“Nearly half of Mike Lawler’s home county Republican Committee voted against him,” said Garvey. “I consider that a defeat for the whole party.”
Sources say both Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann and Orangetown Supervisor Teresa Kenny, both Republicans, nominated Lawler for the chairmanship. Garvey held the position since Vincent Reda stepped down in 2014. However, recent fissures between members of the Republican Committee spurred a movement for Garvey to step down. In recent weeks, letters have circulated indicating that many party members have been displeased with Garvey’s leadership, but it took recent a court decision to clear the path for Lawler’s nomination.
The vote followed a spate of lawsuits and infighting that ultimately voided an illegal bylaw, allowing Lawler, an elected official, to challenge Garvey. An effort to add 46 new electors at the last minute was also rejected by the Court.
Rockland Supreme Court Justice Keith Cornell recently ruled that the Rockland County Republican Committee (RCRC) bylaw restricting elected officials from serving on the Executive Committee violated state law and declared it “null and void and deemed stricken from the Bylaws and of no further force and effort.” New York law allows any member of a political party to run for leadership positions in local elections.
During the meeting Garvey repeated that “electeds shouldn’t be Chair people,” but acknowledged that the Court had found otherwise. He argued elected officials would be distracted by their own efforts to get reelected.
Lawler encouraged the Republicans in attendance to work together, hoping to unify the party going forward. He told the crowd that everyone needs to work together. “We are all Republicans.”
Sources say Garvey attempted to hold two votes, the second vote intended to include the disqualified electors, in the event he decided to appeal a recent court decision striking electors that were illegally appointed last month. The second vote was rejected at the meeting.
After Garvey lost the chairmanship, he pulled his slate for Vice-Chair and other positions.
The new Republican Committee consists of:
- Vice-Chair Lauren Marie Wohl
- Vice-Chair William Lee
- Corresponding Secretary Jon Valentino
- Recording Secretary James Foley
- Treasurer Brian Metcalf
- Director of Finance Refoel Silberberg
- Director of Operations MaryAnn Collopy
- Member-At-Large Aidan Rowan
Supervisor Teresa Kenny and Assemblyman John McGowan were nominated as Vice-Chairs but declined the nominations.
The newly elected positions are effective immediately for a two-year term.
