The Manhattan Republican Party is a regional affiliate of the United States Republican Party for the Borough of Manhattan in New York City, New York.
Leadership
The Manhattan Republican Party is governed by its 500+ member New York County Republican Committee, elected from and by registered Republicans with residence within the borough. In addition, there is a party executive, that, since 2017 has consisted of:
Chairwoman
Andrea Catsimatidis
First Vice-chairman
Robert Morgan
Second Vice-chairman
Peter Hein
Secretary
Debra Leible
Treasurer
Nick Viest
Vice-presidents
Dr. Jeff Ascherman, Will Brown Jr., John Catsimatidis Jr., Margo Catsimatidis, Edwin DeLaCruz, Charles E. Dorkey, III, Bradley Fishel, Joyce Giuffra, Pete Holmberg, Troy Johnson, David Laska, Ken Moltner, Dr. Devi Nampiaparampil, Helen Qiu, Ashton Theodore Randle, Matt Rich, Todd Shapiro, Donna Soloway, Chris Taylor, Jackie Toboroff, and Frederic M. Umane. Political Director Robert Morgan Jr.
History
Founded alongside the New York Republican State Committee in 1855, the party has never held control of the Borough, and has constantly been behind the Manhattan Democratic Party, however, the party has seen several prominent figures elected nationally despite this, including: Theodore Roosevelt, Fiorello LaGuardia, Frederic René Coudert Jr., Ruth Pratt, Jacob K. Javits, MacNeil Mitchell, Louis J. Lefkowitz, Stanley M. Isaacs, John Lindsay, Theodore R. Kupferman, Whitney North Seymour Jr., Bill Green, Roy Goodman, John Ravitz, Charles Millard, Andrew Eristoff, Rudy Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg, and Thomas E. Dewey.
For the two decades from 1990 to 2010, the Manhattan Republican Party was very competitive with their Democratic counterparts, electing two mayors, Giuliani and Bloomberg, and maintaining a centrist and moderate outlook when compared to the rest of the Party, in line with Rockefeller Republican views. However, the party would decline as its leadership began to support Donald Trump and his policies, which resulted in the party's moderate and centrist voter base largely swinging to the Democrats.
Executive Committee (1855-1890) The party originally did not have a singular executive, but rather a committee acting as the party's executive. Mostly an extension of the New York County Republican Committee, the Executive Committee had the New York Committee perform most of the day-to-day operations for the party and only intervened when a deadlock was reached. Membership to the Executive Committee was largely ceremonial and reserved for the more senior members of the party. Throughout its existence, the Committee was filled with members who were bought and paid controlled opposition to William M. Tweed, allowing him to practically rule the city by decree until his downfall in 1871.
Jacob M. Patterson (1890-1894) Described as a political boss, Jacob M. Patterson ran an effective political machine in Manhattan to rival the power of Tammany Hall. However, voices within the party, led by Edwin Einstein, opposed the machine and boss politics. Patterson would enter a feud with Senator Thomas C. Platt, who had taken control of the New York Republican State Committee, when he voted for Benjamin Harrison at the 1892 Republican National Convention against Platt's wishes. Platt and his supporters was able to have a party convention called in 1894 which saw Patterson replaced, however, Platt's men where unable to take control of the party.
William Brookfield (1894-1895)
In a highly contentious convention in 1894, the party elected William Brookfield as chairman defying Senator Thomas C. Platt who sought to take control of the city's party. Brookfield was supported by Patterson, and most of the older leaders of the Borough's Party, and his election resulted in violent protests by Platt men outside the hall which had to be repulsed by police. Brookfield was a member of the Committee of Seventy which nominated a fusion candidate to defeat Tammany hall in the 1895 New York City mayoral election. Platt, however, would not end his campaign for control over the city's party and was able to get another convention called in 1895 which saw Brookfield be removed from office.
Edward Lauterbach (1895)
Attorney Edward Lauterbach, a Platt man, would serve as "temporary chairman" in 1895 until a new convention could be called to elect a new chairman.
Matthew Linn Bruce (1895-1904)
