The city’s Board of Elections routinely reminds New Yorkers that the election night vote count is unofficial and preliminary.

Still, the difference in the results from Nov. 2 and in the returns formally certified by the board on Wednesday seems striking: The board found 195,055 votes, or 17 percent more votes, than were originally reported.

That differential — which nearly equals the total vote for governor in the Bronx and Staten Island combined — does not include an additional 28,442 affidavit ballots that New Yorkers cast at the polls on Election Day because of missing registrations or other reasons and another 30,665 absentee and military ballots and scattered write-in votes.

Read the rest here.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Montauk Club
25 8th Avenue @ Lincoln Place, Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn
6:30 PM – Cocktail Hour Fundraiser for Brooklyn Young Republicans Political Action Committee (BYR PAC)
7:30 PM – Regular Meeting

We’re kicking off our evening with a cocktail hour fundraiser for our very own Brooklyn YR Political Action Committee (PAC). This hour will be the launching pad for Brooklyn Young Republicans who want to advance reform and Republican principles through party and public office. Funds donated to this committee of the club will be strictly used for political and fundraising purposes only.  No fancy private dinners for officers, no paying for parking garages, no donations to an officer’s personal favorite charity.  It’s solely for building the future of the Brooklyn Republican Party one Young Republican at a time while gumming up the gears of the corrupt Brooklyn Democratic Vito Lopez Machine!

So become a member of BYR PAC at one of the following levels.  You may donate in advance through PayPal by clicking the appropriate link below or the night of our meeting by check made out to “Brooklyn Young Republicans Political Action Committee”.

$1000 - Champion of Reform
$500 – Soldier of Reform
$250 – Defender of Reform
$100 – Patron of Reform
$50 – Supporter of Reform
$25 – Friend of Reform

Members of the Brooklyn Young Republican Club who donate to BYR PAC automatically become voting members of the Brooklyn Young Republican Club’s Political Action Committee, which plans how BYR PAC’s funds are spent.

Then at 7:30 PM, join us for the Brooklyn Young Republican Club meeting to discuss the recent wins in the 13th Congressional District, the 60th Assembly District, and how we can work on building the party to take back even more districts with a principled, reform Republican message!

ATTENTION MEMBERS: We will have some very important club business that will require a vote, so your attendance is crucial.  More information will be available shortly.

Congressman Michael Grimm and BYR Treasurer Glenn Nocera

Michael Grimm’s election in the 13th Congressional District on November 2, 2010 was a showcase of fine Republicanism and grassroots activism. This was the target race in all of New York City, if not New York State. What made Grimm’s campaign important was that he was part of the Republican insurgency of the House of Representatives to defeat Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi and introduce a different breed of conservatism in Congress. The seat, formerly held by Michael McMahon, is strategic to conservatives in New York. Why? Because it covers vital Republican strongholds located in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights. The location was the decisive factor in helping Michael Grimm get elected, which included Brooklyn Young Republicans who, by pounding pavement, helped spread the word.

Michael Grimm’s election, however, was one of the very few Republican victories in Brooklyn. While he and Nicole Malliotakis claimed victory Tuesday night in large part due to many Republican votes from the larger Staten Island portions of their districts, other Brooklyn Republicans went back to their homes to no avail. Phyllis Carbo lost with only 34% of the vote in the 47th Assembly District.  Brian Doherty lost with 38% in the 48th AD.  Peter Cipriano also lost with 38% in the 49th AD.

The 58th and 59th Assembly Districts had no Republican candidates running.

And, my favorite: the 46th Assembly District attempted to run a Republican Candidate against Alec Brook-Krasny, but was swiftly knocked off the ballot and Brook-Krasny ran essentially unopposed. Needless to say, those District Leaders in the 46th have some explaining to do.

The numbers can be upsetting.  After all, Republicans do have a lot to offer to New York City and to Albany. Free markets, low taxes, a revamped welfare system, and transparency all contribute to good government. But with election numbers this low in Brooklyn in one of the best years for Republicans in quite some time, a few things come to question.

1) How does the Chairman allow Democrats to run unopposed in districts, especially Democratic Chair Vito Lopez’s handpicked State Supreme Court judge nominees (whom Brooklyn Republicans always cross-endorse)? Republicans are some of the best and brightest in the borough. The question begs, why is there no effort being made to tap into and cultivate a Republican intelligencia?

2) The 46th AD leadership is weak. Not running a candidate is one thing, but dropping a candidate off the ballot is another. With the fervent anti-incumbency feel running rampant throughout the country, District Leaders Clorinda Annarummo and Simon Shamoun had the opportunity to surgically remove a career politician. The question begs, why didn’t they?

3) The low voter turnouts, lackluster campaigns and candidacies, and low vote percentages are unacceptable. For far too long, the Republican Party has been receiving far too few votes in virtually any election. The question begs, why is the Chairman doing nothing to change this?

And so, the question ultimately begs, what are Brooklyn Young Republicans willing to do to fix this?

On Tuesday, Michael Grimm beat his opponent Michael McMahon, 51.5% to 47.8%. With the resurgence of Republicans in the House, we’re looking forward to seeing Michael Grimm lead the charge in Washington. Congrats, Mike!

On Tuesday, Malliotakis received 54% of the vote against her opponent, Janele Hyer-Spencer, who received just 45%.

The very democratic fabric of the American Republic rests entirely in the hands of a civil society; that is, an active and vibrant culture that understands the way the political system works, is involved in local groups, and knows the importance of voting.

I know there are a million other things you would rather do tomorrow before the polls close, but the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives’ futures rest entirely in your hands. These branches are inefficient, you are indifferent, the political system in the United States has become nothing more than a circus show on TV propped up for your entertainment. Little do the pundits, critics, and incumbents know about the needs of your household, family, and finances. But this is your chance to sway the efficiency of government in your favor.

As a Brooklyn County Committeeman and Communications Director of the Brooklyn Young Republicans, I ask you to take the time tomorrow to venture to your local polling site and vote. Apathy and indifference have been the arbiters of the defeat of liberty and responsible government. For the past 70 years, the United States has experienced an exponential growth in the Federal Government at your expense. The dollar has been devalued 97% since the creation of the Federal Reserve and paying an exuberant amount of taxes has become second nature- it shouldn’t.

I’m not going to make this piece a rant for you to vote “Republican” or “Democrat”. This is, however, a request for you to vote. If you do nothing, nothing good happens. If you do something, something good happens.

Remember, you own the fruits of your labor. Don’t let government take more than it already has.

After you vote, get involved. We need to Rally for the Republic. Email us at info@brooklynyr.com or text us at 347-560-1880, we want to hear from you!

- Roy Antoun

Brooklyn County Committeeman

Communications Director, Brooklyn YRs

Bar XII

206 East 34th Street (and 3rd Ave)

New York, NY

Come watch the primary results with your favorite Young Republican Club!

Kick up your feet and relax with some local candidates after a long day of pounding the pavement.

Food will be provided all night!

Candidates in attendance include:
Alex Powietrzynski
Roger Blank
and
Pat Tina

Light Press

Admission is:

$10 for Members
$15 for Non-members
$35 for membership* + ticket

Venue is handicap accessible

Subway: 6 to 33rd St

Courtesy: NY1

As you know, our most recent President Jonathan Judge is running in that race!

Many of the Brooklyn YRs have been out supporting one of their own, and we hope you’ll all come out and support him.

The debate will take place Wednesday, February 24, 7 pm, at the Boro Park YMHA at 4910 14^th Ave. in Brooklyn.

Jonathan will be answering questions from a panel of Jewish Press reporters and editors, from the audience, and from residents who have submitted questions in advance.

Let’s come out to support Jonathan and let our voice be heard!

If you plan on attending, be sure to email us at brooklynyr@gmail.com. We’ll see you then!

We are embarking on a great opportunity in 2010 to show the voters what the Republican Party really stands for.  The disappointment and frustration that people feel with the politicians that have been running government for the past couple of years has reached a fevered pitch.  This past year in particular, government at all levels has been operating and behaving poorly while it has been dominated exclusively by Democrats.

The challenge for us as Republicans this year and in the future is to show the voters that we get it. History has shown that Republicans, too, get caught up in the worst brand of politics, which contributes to the voters’ apathy and disgust with all politicos.  However, in order to compete successful this year, we must demonstrate that we have a strong platform of smaller, more efficient government, and one of reform at all levels of government to protect and expand on the best notions of American life and liberty.  But above all else, we must be capable of campaigning and administering the people’s business without the kind of corrupting self-interest that time and again sabotages what’s in the best interests of the people.

This year has hardly begun and we already see many opportunities for us to begin to make inroads throughout Brooklyn and beyond.  However, in order to be successful, we have to keep in mind that, without the interest and support of Republican and conservative/libertarian voters and activists, without qualified and community-minded candidates running on a principled Republican platform, we will not be capable of showing the voters that we can and we will do it better.

Before getting involved in a campaign or deciding whether to run for office, too often people ask themselves  ”What’s in it for me? A job? Money? Some other quid pro quo?”  This way of thinking is the politics of the machine, the precise form of destructive politics that has gotten government to the point it is at today.

Instead, the benefits we should all seek from our involvement in politics are the very tangible improvements that we can make for everyone.  Lower taxes and less burdensome government benefit everyone.  More efficient use of government resources benefits everyone.  Promoting small business entrepreneurship benefits everyone.  Making sure everyone counts and government is treating everyone equally, regardless of their political or social connections, benefits everyone.

Our individual activism–whether as candidates, as petitioners, as door-to-door campaigners, as contributors, as social media gurus, or whatever we have to offer to build support for Republican principles in government–must be performed not because of a quid pro quo, but because all New Yorkers, whether they realize it or not, are depending on us to provide them with viable alternatives to government dysfunction and mismanagement for a better Brooklyn for all.

In closing, I want to quote from an article I shared with you a while back from the New York Times in 1882, entitled “The Power of Organization“, which specifically talked about the power and influence of our club only two years after its founding in 1880. Their organization is respected and feared because its motives are unselfish, its conduct courageous and its methods business-like. The club is not composed of men who make politics a trade, who seek in party service a passport to public position, or who endeavor to justify their fitness for office by the manipulation of primaries or the packing of conventions. In fact, the club is an organized protest against the supremacy of just such persons in party politics…

…We shall never have a decent City Government in New York till we get together and keep together such a body of young men, who, neither holding nor desiring office, are willing to take their share of the active work of politics simply for the public good. Intelligent and self-respecting Republicans will never have their wishes heeded, here or elsewhere, till they either take hold of the party organization themselves or place in competition with it an organization equally well fitted to bring voters to the polls and provide them with ballots when they get there.

With that, on behalf of the Brooklyn Young Republican Club, we are thrilled to be working together with you and anyone else who wants to be a part of a better, stronger and reformed Republican Party for 2010.

Best wishes,

Jonathan J. Judge
President

In the letter of nomination, Mrs. Regina-Potter, was informed that she had been selected for her “passionate devotion to the welfare of those in need and your outstanding leadership in establishing positive alternatives for our youth. You are much admired and respected as an exceptional role model in our community. Your acceptance would provide much needed inspiration for our youth and volunteers in their continued work to improve quality of life.”

The ceremony will take place on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at The Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn. For further information and reservations, please call (718) 256-4414.

Congratulations to Mrs. Regina-Potter on this tremendous honor!