ROBERT HORNAK
FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE QUEENS REPUBLICAN PARTY
RAHORNAK@GMAIL.COM
Robert Hornak is a veteran political consultant who previously served as deputy director of the Republican assembly leader’s NYC office and as executive director of the Queens Republican Party. He can be reached at rahornak@gmail.com and @roberthornak on X.
One thing that makes the history of NYC fairly unique is the power that political clubs have wielded going back to the early 1800’s and the rise of Tammany Hall.
Founded in the 1700’s as a social organization, Tammany Hall slowly became a political power- broker synonymous with power – and corruption. Tammany was originally a bipartisan organization, but after ongoing leadership battles the organization became solidly Democrat when former Tammany leader DeWitt Clinton was elected Governor and worked with Martin van Buren to gain absolute control over the Tammany machine.
Prior to 1821, only white, male property owners were allowed to vote in NY. The enfranchisement of all white males in NY in 1821 expanded Tammany’s power as Irish immigrants, who had been increasingly immigrating to NYC, became a big part of their power- base. Then, in 1828, Tammany endorsed Andrew Jackson for President in exchange for control over all federal employment in the city. Tammany was now the main player in NY politics.
The era of Boss Tweed followed, and for the next hundred years Tammany ruled. But over time other political clubhouses rose in power. Most notably was the Village Independent Democrats (VID), which was good government reformer Ed Koch’s base in his rise to office and in his battles with Tammany.
Political clubs, on both sides of the aisle, grew in power and influence in the 1900’s, many with club- houses where they operated from. This is wonderfully portrayed in the movie City Hall with the character Frank Anselmo, played fabulously by Danny Aiello, a corrupt City Councilman and powerful Brooklyn political boss, who has his political club as the base of his operations serving constituents.
There were many GOP clubs all over the city as well, and many with clubhouses. Most have now been sold, with the Metropolitan Republican Club in Manhattan the one remaining Republican club with its own building. But the need for Republican Clubs has not gone away, and with the rise of Mamdani and the socialists they are likely more important than ever.
The Whitestone Republican Club proved how effective a well- run club can be. The club was re- booted in December 2018 on the heels of Vickie Paladino’s first run for State Senate (full disclosure I was involved in the 2018 campaign and the following club reboot). Over the next few years, the power of Vickie’s personality grew that club providing her with the base she needed in 2021 to run for and win that previously blue city council seat.
Other Republican clubs have since been started, with some electoral success in Brooklyn. In NW Queens, the Ronald Reagan Republican Club of Astoria was started with the goal of pushing back against the Democratic Socialists on their home turf. The most recent is in central Queens, the Kew Forest Republican Club, which just had its inaugural event with over 100 people turning out.
Central Queens is one area in NYC where city or statewide Republican candidates have won or come very close in the local assembly or council district. But strong republican candidates for these local offices were not there to take advantage of the growing – yes, growing – support for Republicans in these neighborhoods.
But it will take local organizations, identifying, developing, and supporting candidates for these local seats in order to flip them for the GOP. County organizations are simply spread too thin to be hands on across an entire borough. NYC has eleven full congressional districts, and parts of two others. That’s more than most states.
Queens alone has 18 Assembly districts and 16 City Council districts. Without vibrant and active local clubs there is no way Republicans can mount strong campaigns for these local offices. Club members are needed to collect petition signatures to get candidates on the
ballot, to ring doorbells and work phone banks (the DSA is actively running these ground operations 12 months a year), and to provide candidates with their first contributions to get started.
So, Republicans, if you love history and tradition, join a Republican club. Whether in Whitestone, Astoria, Kew Gardens-Forest Hills, or whatever your local club may be, this is how Republicans can remain relevant in the Mamdani years and can help keep history alive.
