Erie County Conservative Chairman Ralph Lorigo has fired back at state Conservative Chairman Mike Long for suggesting he should stop running for governor or resign his party post, saying Long himself should resign if his preferred gubernatorial candidate (and Lorigo’s primary opponent), Rick Lazio loses.

Lorigo’s challenge came in response to Long’s letter last week in which the state chairman branded Lorigo a stalking horse for Buffalo businessman Carl Paladino, who is trying to petition his way into the GOP primary.

In a subsequent letter, Lorigo does not deny that he objects to the fact Paladino was “not allowed to fairly compete for the Conservative Party nomination,” but rejects the idea that his own candidacy has anything to do with a desire to safeguard Conservative principles.

Lorigo insists Lazio (to whom he refers in his letter to Long as “your candidate”) is “pro-choice and pro-gun control,” insisting: “This is a battle over issues! I run on Conservative principles.”

“You are the one who needs to re-consider,” Lorigo continues.

“You are the one who puts our Party at risk. You are the one who put your finger in the eye of the Republicans when you placed our convention before theirs, forcing their choice to be Rick Lazio and creating a situation making it impossible for us to defeat Senators Schumer and Gillibrand. You are the one who refuses to give pro-life and pro-gun Conservatives a place to vote this November.”

“Mike, I agree that if I lose the campaign, I would be willing to resign as Regional Vice Chairman of the New York State Conservative Party. I challenge you to make the same commitment. I fully expect you to resign as State Chairman if Rick Lazio loses his campaign for governor.”

Mike Long Letter

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