Bay Ridge

Long wins new term as Conservative Party chairman

Bay Ridge resident elected unanimously by delegates

September 27, 2016 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Mike Long, pictured with his wife Eileen at a luncheon in Bay Ridge, says he is grateful to the delegates who voted to give him another term as party chairman. Eagle file photo by Paula Katinas
Share this:

Mike Long, the Bay Ridge business leader who has been the outspoken head of the New York State Conservative Party for more than two decades, has been re-elected to another term as the party’s chairman.

Party delegates held their bi-annual meeting in Forest Hills, Queens on Saturday and unanimously elected Long to serve as chairman for another two-year term.

Long is seen by many political observers as a political mega-star who has elevated the status of the Conservative Party in the state.

The former owner of Long’s Wines and Liquors on Fifth Avenue, Long is a member of the board of directors of the Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District. He is also chairman of the board of directors at Holy Angels Catholic Academy, a Catholic school in Bay Ridge. He and his wife Eileen are parishioners of Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church.

Subscribe to our newsletters

Jerry Kassar, chairman of the Brooklyn Conservative Party, nominated Long for re-election as state chairman at the meeting on Saturday. “Mike Long has earned the respect of the political leadership throughout the state and in doing so he has caused each and every one of us to be more respected as party leaders,” Kassar stated.

The New York State Conservative Party headquarters is located in Bay Ridge. The party was founded in 1962. The party continuously fights for lower taxes and an easing of government regulations on business owners. Over the years, the party has also taken stands against abortion and same-sex marriage.

In his acceptance speech, Long thanked the delegates for their support and paid tribute to them for working to keep the conservative voice strong in New York, a state dominated by Democrats.

“You are the pivotal part of promoting the party. Elected officials have come and gone, but the work you do keeps the party vibrant and strong and able to make a difference in New York state politics,” he told the delegates.

Another Brooklyn resident, Fran Vella-Marrone of Dyker Heights, was elected treasurer of the party.

The other senior officers elected at the meeting were: Shaun Marie Levine of Albany County as executive vice-chairman and Howard Lim Jr. of Westchester County as secretary.

The New York State Conservative Party also made news recently with its endorsement of Donald Trump for president.

The endorsement was announced at the party’s annual dinner hosted by Long and held at the Marriot Marquis in Midtown earlier this month.

Trump, a billionaire real estate mogul from New York, spoke at the dinner, telling party members that he was pleased to accept an endorsement from fellow residents of the state.

“Nobody knows me better than New Yorkers,” the Journal News quoted him as saying.

 


Leave a Comment


Leave a Comment