NYRSPC Report Final 5-09

New York Republican State Committee
Republican Excelsior:
An Action Plan for Building a
Competitive New York State Republican Party
Report of the New York Republican Strategic Planning Commission
May 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter to the Chairman ............................................................................................................................ 3

Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. 4
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 5
A Word on Implementation and Expectations.......................................................................................... 6
Strengthening the State-level Republican Infrastructure .......................................................................... 7
Modernizing State Committee’s Organization and Management ......................................................... 7
Enhancing Fundraising ...................................................................................................................... 16
Building a Stronger Community ......................................................................................................... 19
Coordinating State-Level Republican Leadership ............................................................................... 23
Strengthening Local Organizations and Campaigns ................................................................................ 26
Providing Useful Tools and Services ................................................................................................... 26
Setting Expectations .......................................................................................................................... 30
Putting Points on the Board............................................................................................................... 31
Improving Candidate Recruitment and Selection ................................................................................... 34
Rationalizing the Process ................................................................................................................... 34
Building a Bench................................................................................................................................ 36
Rebuilding the New York State Republican Brand .................................................................................. 38
Modernizing the Message ................................................................................................................. 38
Managing and Delivering the Message .............................................................................................. 40
Expanding the New York Republican Party ............................................................................................. 44
Enrolling More Republicans ............................................................................................................... 44
Reinvigorating Traditional Republican Constituencies........................................................................ 46
Building New Republican Constituencies: Organizing for Inclusion..................................................... 49
Appendix ............................................................................................................................................... 54
Table of Recommendations by First Action Target Date ..................................................................... 54
Table of Recommendations by Relative Cost ..................................................................................... 59
Commission Members....................................................................................................................... 64
List of Regional Roundtables ............................................................................................................. 64
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LETTER TO THE CHAIRMAN
New York Republican Strategic Planning Commission
May 2009
Hon. Joseph N. Mondello, Chairman
New York Republican State Committee
315 State Street
Albany, NY 12210
Dear Chairman Mondello:
It gives us great pleasure to submit this Action Plan for Building a Competitive New
York State Republican Party.
Since its founding in 1855 by dissident Whigs and Free-Soil Democrats, the New
York State Republican Party has provided New Yorkers with leadership that helped
shape the Empire State as the world’s cultural and financial capital. Now, as we
look forward with uncertainty to the twenty-first century’s second decade, it is clear
that New York again needs a strong, competitive Republican Party to help lead us
toward a better future. We hope that our recommendations will help you and our
great New York State Republican Party meet that challenge.
We are grateful to you and the staff of State Committee for the support and
cooperation we received throughout our review. We are also profoundly grateful to
the many Republican county chairs, local leaders, and activists, here in New York
and elsewhere, who took the time to share their experience and expertise with us.
Sincerely,
Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff
Chairman
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In the aftermath of the disappointing 2008 general elections, Chairman Joseph N. Mondello created the
New York Republican Strategic Planning Commission to study and make recommendations for rebuilding
a competitive New York State Republican Party. Over five months, the Commission held ten Regional
Roundtables throughout the state and conducted dozens of interviews with Republican Party leaders,
elected officials, outside experts, and other stakeholders. This Action Plan constitutes the Commission’s
final report and recommendations.
This Action Plan envisions a modern, dynamic, and more inclusive New York State Republican Party that
has the organizational and technical capacity to serve as statewide center of excellence and coordinator
of resources that support competitive local Republican organizations. Specifically, this Action Plan
contains 100 separate recommendations that, upon implementation, will modernize and strengthen the
New York Republican Party in five important respects:
 A stronger state-level Republican infrastructure. The New York Republican Party currently lacks the
basic organizational infrastructure to be competitive. The Commission’s recommendations include
steps to modernize State Committee’s organization and management by improving its internal
administration, establishing qualifications and eliminating conflicts with respect to leadership,
improving the conduct of meetings, upgrading technology and management systems, and building a
stronger staff structure. The Commission’s recommendations also address the need to enhance
fundraising operations, build a stronger sense of community among Republicans, and coordinate
State-level Republican leadership.
 Stronger local Republican organizations and campaigns. Local organizations are the lifeblood of a
competitive state party. The Commission’s recommendations would have State Committee take a
leadership role in providing local organizations and campaigns with access to the tools and services
they need to be more competitive, setting expectations, and coordinating a locally-focused 2009
campaign program that will deliver tangible results, valuable experience, and organizational
momentum going into the 2010 election cycle.
 Better candidate recruitment and selection. We can’t win elections without outstanding
candidates. The Commission’s recommendations target better ways to identify, recruit, and support
talented individuals who are willing to represent the Republican Party. The recommendations also
address the critical need for fair and open selection processes to mitigate internal conflicts and
focus energy and resources on winning.
 A modern New York State Republican brand. The New York Republican brand, not to mention the
national Republican brand, is tarnished. The Commission’s recommendations highlight ways to
modernize the New York Republican message and improve the way that message is managed and
delivered.
 An expanded New York Republican Party. The New York Republican party needs to expand if it is to
avoid a slow descent into obscurity. The Commission’s recommendations include specific
suggestions for enrolling more Republicans, reinvigorating traditional Republican constituencies that
have drifted away, and building new Republican constituencies.
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INTRODUCTION
The general elections of 2008 were a near-total disaster for the New York State Republican Party. The
party lost majority control of the New York State Senate for the first time in 41 years and was reduced to
just 41 members in the 150-member State Assembly. Republicans emerged with just three seats in the
U.S. House of Representatives from New York, down from 13 seats a decade ago. Meanwhile, the
opposing Democratic Party currently controls all five statewide offices (the office of Lieutenant
Governor is vacant) and in recent years has been ascendant at the local level in every region of the state.
New York, once purple, is now a very deep shade of blue.
To some degree, the New York Republican Party’s difficulties reflect strong national trends. Historically,
the United States’ two great political parties have been national in identify and scope; obviously, the
New York State Republican Party faces many of the same challenges as its sister organizations,
particularly those in the Northeast and New England, the latter now completely devoid of Republican
representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Yet the party’s recent weak performance in New York also reflects the culmination of long-term trends
and circumstances that are unique to New York State. Accordingly, New York Republican State
Chairman Joseph N. Mondello created the New York Republican Strategic Planning Commission in early
2009 to study and make specific recommendations for placing the New York Republican Party back on a
competitive footing.
The Commission’s volunteer members are independent Republican activists and supporters from across
the state. The members include former elected and appointed officials as well as current and former
leaders of Republican auxiliary organizations. By design, none are current elected officials or local party
leaders. Although the Commission does not have a separate budget or staff, we have received the day-
to-day logistical support of the Republican State Committee and its Executive Director, in his capacity as
Executive Director of the Commission ex officio.
The Commission pursued its mandate through two principal means. First, we organized ourselves into
three working committees: Communications and Outreach; Operations; and Finance and
Administration. Each committee interviewed key stakeholders, conducted its own research, and
submitted recommendations to the full Commission.
Second, the Commission held a series of Regional Roundtables with local elected and party leaders.
These candid, off-the-record sessions, co-hosted and largely coordinated by county chairs, provided an
invaluable opportunity for local Republican leaders to share their experience and expertise with
members of the Commission and with each other.
The 100 recommendations that follow constitute the Commission’s blueprint for building a modern,
competitive New York State Republican Party. We intend that each recommendation address one or
more of five challenges facing the party:
 Strengthening the state-level Republican infrastructure;
 Strengthening local organizations and campaigns;
 Improving candidate recruitment and selection;
 Rebuilding the New York State Republican brand; and
 Expanding the New York Republican Party.
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A WORD ON IMPLEMENTATION AND EXPECTATIONS
Cognizant of the challenges inherent in implementation, this Action Plan includes a “first action metric”
for each recommendation that details the what, who, and when of taking a first step toward
implementation. Many of these first steps are only small “down-payments” on large projects.
Nevertheless, we hope that these first action metrics will provide a relatively rapid means of assessing
progress in, and organizational commitment to, the implementation of our recommendations.
To assist in evaluating priorities, we have also assigned a relative cost category for the full
implementation of each recommendation (not the first action). These are inherently vague, given the
range of options with respect to partial or full implementation. We have also attempted to coordinate
the sequence of exceptionally expensive recommendations with building up State Committee’s
fundraising capacity.
Further, we have in many cases suggested the use of volunteers and pro bono service providers.
Although we believe that accessing such resources is a realistic strategy, we urge the reader to consider
the cost ramifications if State Committee chooses to pursue another path.
Finally, we feel obligated to acknowledge that most, if not all, of the individual recommendations that
follow are relatively small, tactical, and often quite obvious. The bad news is that readers looking for
quick solutions or a magical formula will be sorely disappointed. The good news is that every single
recommendation is actionable. In other words, we can do this. Working together, we can and will build
a more competitive New York State Republican Party.
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STRENGTHENING THE STATE-LEVEL REPUBLICAN INFRASTRUCTURE
For all intents and purposes, the New York Republican Party lacks much of the basic organizational
infrastructure necessary to be competitive. Although we view the “infrastructure” in this context as
including both the state and local party organizations as one integrated system, for clarity we have
divided our recommendations with regard to the state and local levels into separate sections.
We have identified four infrastructure-related challenges at the state level: modernizing State
Committee’s organization and management, enhancing fundraising, building a stronger sense of
community among Republicans, and improving coordination between the three state-level Republican
leadership organizations.
MODERNIZING STATE COMMITTEE’S ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
State Committee is in desperate need of basic modernization with respect to its organization,
management, operations, staffing, communications, and systems environment. Recognizing that this
enormous task will never quite be finished, because modernization is a dynamic and ongoing process,
we offer the following recommendations as “first step” priorities, grouped into relevant categories.
INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION
1. Prepare audited financial statements

State Committee should set an example for transparency and accountability, especially with respect to
its finances. Accordingly, we strongly recommend that State Committee prepare audited and
consolidated financial statements annually.
State Committee’s financial information is already public. As a political organization that handles both
federal and state campaign funds, State Committee is subject to comprehensive and often burdensome
public financial disclosure and election law compliance requirements. We therefore stress that this
recommendation is designed to address the format and usability of State Committee’s financial
information. Moreover, having an outside entity perform a financial audit --- a different function than
that of a compliance agency such as the Federal Elections Commission --- will protect the organization
and its leadership.
We estimate that engaging an outside auditor will involve a medium level of recurring expense,
depending on the scope of services and internal staff support. There is also the possibility that State
Committee could secure pro bono auditing services.
First Action: Issue RFP for auditing services
Who: Staff
When: Jul-09
Cost (Full Implementation): M
2. Establish an annual budget process overseen by a Budget and Administration Committee
State Committee is a multi-million dollar organization. As such, it should establish and follow a standard
annual budget process appropriate to any medium to large nonprofit organization. The process should
be transparent and should include setting specific annual goals that can be shared with donors and
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other stakeholders. Although the State Chair and the Executive Director are ultimately responsible for
the budget, we recommend that the State Chair appoint a Budget and Administration Committee drawn
from the county chairs. We recommend that this committee’s responsibilities include the review and
approval of the annual budget and that it have regular access to State Committee’s internal financial
information including all public financial disclosure statements filed by State Committee and its officers.
First Action: Appoint a Budget and Administration Committee and establish a budget process to be in
place for the beginning of the next fiscal year
Who: Chair and Executive Director
When: Nov-09
Cost: N/A
3. Review the Regional Vice Chair system

State Committee’s by-laws specify the election of eight county chairs as Vice-Chairpersons (Vice Chairs),
each from a district comprised of several counties. Although the by-laws are largely silent with respect
to the specific duties of Vice-Chair, we have several observations based on our outreach and interaction
with many of the Vice-Chairs over the last few months.
First, the Vice-Chairpersons typically, and appropriately, perform an informal coordinating role with
respect to administrative matters. In this context, we would like to thank the Vice-Chairs for their
generous assistance in arranging and hosting our Regional Roundtables.
Second, we think that the Vice Chairs should not constitute or evolve into an intermediate level of
authority between the State Chair and the county chairs. There is no need for an intermediate level of
bureaucracy; county chairs should always have direct access to the State Chair. In the end, we think the
several county committees are and should remain State Committee’s “regional offices”.
Third, we believe that it may be time to update the by-laws to formalize the Vice Chairs’ role, clarify
expectations, and perhaps make some minor adjustments in district configuration. As an example that
speaks to the issue of district configuration, one county chair noted that at least one district did not
appropriately align with the relevant local media market.
We recommend referring these issues to the existing Vice Chairs for their review and recommendation.
First Action: State Chair asks current Vice Chairs for review and recommendation
Who: State Chair
When: Jun-09
Cost (Full Implementation): N/A
4. Create a By-Laws Committee

State Committee’s by-laws are outdated and contain a few obvious errors. We recommend that the
State Chair appoint a By-Laws Committee to review the by-laws and make recommendations for
amendments to State Committee on a bi-annual basis. We further recommend that the By-Laws
Committee include both county chairs and sitting members of State Committee.
First Action: State Chair designates a By-Laws Committee
Who: State Chair
When: Jun-09
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5. Perform an Environmental Review of State Committee
To save money and set an example of environmental stewardship for Republican candidates and
organizations, State Committee should conduct a thorough environmental review of its internal
operations.
At nominal cost, State Committee should engage an expert “environmental auditing” consultant who
will conduct both a physical and process review of Headquarters operations. The expert should provide
a comprehensive list of short, medium, and long term recommendations with respect to operating
procedures, equipment, materials, and supplies. In particular, the review should yield proposed
operating guidelines to ensure that all items produced under the auspices of New York Republican State
Committee --- particularly the flood of campaign literature, mail, signs, etc. --- comply with the highest
standards for sustainability and environmental stewardship. State Committee should share these
guidelines with Republican candidates and organizations.
It may be possible to secure expert services on a pro bono basis.
First Action: Engage an environmental auditor
Who: Executive Director
When: Aug-09
Cost (Full Implementation): L
QUALIFICATIONS AND CONFLICTS
6. Bar concurrent service as a county and State Chair

After reviewing the experience of the past few decades, and based on extensive feedback received from
local leaders and party activists, we have concluded that it is inappropriate and demonstrably
impractical for a sitting county chair to serve as State Chair. The roles are --- or should be ---
fundamentally distinct, and the separate demands of each are frequently incompatible. The New York
State Republican State Committee needs a dedicated Chair unfettered and uncompromised by the
demands of running a local county organization.
First Action: Draft by-law amendment
Who: Staff or volunteer lawyer
When: Aug-09
7. Bar registered lobbyists, elected officials, and those serving in appointive office wi th
compensation from serving as State Chair
The position of State Chair should be free of any actual or perceived conflicts of interest. Accordingly,
we recommend amending the by-laws to bar registered lobbyists, elected officials, and those holding
compensated appointive office from serving as State Chair. Furthermore, we urge the several county
organizations to consider adopting similar rules.
When: Aug-09
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8. Institute four term (8-year) limit for State Chair
We found broad consensus among party leaders and activists for the view that we need a higher rate of
turnover among chairs at every level within the state party. Simply put, some chairs have stayed too
long and their reluctance to step aside has impeded the necessary development of new leadership,
energy, and ideas.
That said, we encountered mixed views regarding the idea of imposing strict term limits on local
organizations. Accordingly, to advance the concept and stimulate debate at the local level short of
imposing a rigid mandate, we recommend amending State Committee’s by-laws to institute a four
consecutive term (eight-year) limit for the position of State Chair, beginning with the next regular term.
While this will have little practical impact --- we do not recall the last time a State Chair served more
than four consecutive terms --- this amendment will set a necessary example for the local committees.
When: Aug-09
9. Extend terms for county committee member, district leader, and State Committee
member from two to four years
Having to qualify State Committee and county committee membership, as well as District Leaders within
the City of New York, every two years imposes a significant administrative burden on our local leaders
and, ultimately, serves little practical purpose. We therefore recommend that State Committee seek
legislation to allow it and the county committees to extend the terms of State Committee members,
county committee members, and district leaders from two to four years by rules amendment. The
terms should not be conterminous with the gubernatorial cycle.
First Action: Draft legislation
Who: Volunteer lawyer
When: Nov-09
MEETINGS
10. Provide 30-day notice (mail or electronic) for all non-emergency meetings of the State
Committee or Executive Committee
Almost without exception, State Committee members and county chairs complained that State
Committee provides short notice of State Committee and Executive Committee (county chairs’)
meetings. This in part accounts for the consistently low attendance at these meetings. Further, we note
that the current by-laws specify notice by mail. This is expensive and impractical. Accordingly, we
recommend that State Committee amend its by-laws to adopt a 30-day notice standard for all non-
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emergency meetings and to allow electronic notice via e-mail or similar means. The amendment should
include a well-defined emergency clause.
Who: Volunteer lawyer
When: Aug-09
11. Hold half of State Committee and Executive Committee meetings in regional venues
New York is a big state, and getting to Albany can be an unwelcome challenge, especially for relatively
short or routine meetings. Furthermore, given the importance of county and local committees within
the state party apparatus, it makes practical, political, and public relations sense for the meeting
schedule to include a regional component. We think that State Committee should aspire to hold at least
half of its meetings in regional venues, with the regional Vice Chairs serving as administrative
coordinators. Assuming comparable venue rental rates, we would expect this change to result in a
minor increase in expenses relating to State Committee staff travel (offset, of course, by savings realized
by those who don’t have to travel to Albany).
First Action: Set preliminary schedule for 2010 meetings
Who: Staff
When: Nov-09
12. Webcast State Committee and Executive Committee meetings

Modern business and professional organizations with far-flung customers or membership routinely
broadcast their meetings on the Internet. “Webcasting” can include shared document presentations,
streaming video, and secure, controlled-access interactive features such question submission and
voting. Adopting this technology will allow more stakeholders to participate in more State Committee
meeting and events.
We score the cost as “medium” but variable depending on the specific solution adopted.
First Action: Research service providers
Who: Staff
When: Jul-09
13. Amend by-laws to permit internal voting via webcast or similar communications
technology
To complement webcasting and other new models of remote online collaboration, State Committee
should amend its by-laws to make it clear that remote voting is valid for all purposes in the ordinary
course of conducting State Committee’s business.
When: Aug-09
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MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
14. Upgrade State Committee’s network and systems infrastructure

State Committee’s network and systems infrastructure is antiquated and extremely difficult to maintain.
It has to go. The cost will vary in accordance with the scope and sophistication of the new solution.
First Action: Issue RFP
Who: Staff
When: Jul-09
Cost (Full Implementation): H
15. Modernize State Committee’s telephone system

State Committee’s telephone system is outdated and inefficient. To gain a sense of the current
technology and market, State Committee should issue an RFP soliciting proposals for modernization that
include the possibility of Internet telephony. Of course, this should be coordinated with any initiative to
deploy computer-assisted telephone banking software (see below).
Depending upon the solution, this modernization could have a high cost. Of course, State Committee
may opt for a more incremental approach at lower cost.
Who: Staff
When: Aug-09
Cost (Full Implementation): M to H
16. Design and implement a computer-assisted telephone bank at 315 State Street
Notwithstanding the decline in land lines due to the proliferation of cellular telephones, telephone
banking remains a key tactic for fundraising, advocacy, polling, and GOTV. In the recent past, State
Committee operated an on-premises volunteer telephone bank with computerized auto-dialing and
results tabulation, but this system is no longer fully operational and State Committee now relies on
outsourced solutions. Although we recognize that State Committee will continue to use outside vendors
in appropriate circumstances, we believe that it will be important to restore some basic in-house
capacity for the use of volunteers on a short-term basis and to assist Republican campaigns that cannot
afford an outsourced solution. A basic solution should cost less than $10,000, inclusive of new
computers.
Who: Staff
When: Aug-09
17. Develop a Data Management Strategy

Lists are the lifeblood of a political organization. State Committee currently maintains separate
databases for voters, contributors, party leaders, party activists, e-mail addresses, media contacts,
volunteers, etc. Although it would be easy to recommend the immediate procurement of a cutting-edge
(and expensive) customer relationship management (CRM) “solution” to integrate its various databases,
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we believe that State Committee should first develop a strategy to guide how it collects, organizes,
stores, maintains, protects, and uses its data assets. A fully-developed “data strategy” should include
policies, procedures, and technical standards, and as such will provide a foundation for making informed
tactical decisions with respect to the design of an integrated CRM sometime in the future.
The first step is to arrange for an evaluation of State Committee’s current data management
practices. Although we suspect that there are plenty of technology consultants in the Albany area who
could do the work for a few thousand dollars, it may be possible to identify firms who would be willing
to do the initial assessment on a volunteer basis in return for consideration in relation to future work.
First Action: Issue RFP for consultant to perform an evaluation
Who: Staff
When: Jul-09
18. Inventory county committees' data assets

Insomuch as they are integral components of the statewide Republican infrastructure, we believe that
the several county organizations should participate in the statewide data strategy described above.
Ultimately, common standards and procedures should enable routine and frequent data exchange
between State Committee and the counties.
As a key first step, the counties need to take an inventory of their existing data assets. In other words,
each county organization needs to identify and document its digitalized lists, from fundraising to GOTV.
State Committee should help by sending a basic questionnaire to each county that asks for high-level
“metadata” with regard to each list such as function, software application, number of records, number
of fields per record, source, and maintenance procedures. We believe that staff can develop this
questionnaire with minimal, if any, outside help.
First Action: Draft and send metadata questionnaire County Chairs
Who: Staff
When: Aug-09
19. Encourage data cooperation to strengthen State Committee's local support programs
State Committee supports local campaigns and local organizations through various activities including
fundraising, grassroots activities, phone banks, and mail programs. Additionally, State Committee is
uniquely able to support federal candidates through non-allocable mail programs where the costs of
such programs do not count against the candidate’s contribution limits. State Committee’s support can
make all the difference in a successful campaign.
To maximize the effectiveness of its various activities and programs, State Committee should encourage
candidates and local organizations to share certain data assets --- donor lists, lists of petition signers,
etc. --- on a systematic basis. As a first step, State Committee should draft a policy statement that
clearly sets forth its expectations going forward.
First Action: Draft policy statement
Who: Staff
When: Sep-09
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STAFFING
State Committee’s current staff of five individuals includes an Executive Director, Counsel, two
Assistants to the Chairman, and a secretary. It does not include a Finance Director to coordinate
fundraising, a Communications Director to coordinate media and public relations, a Political Director to
coordinate training and field operations, a Research Director to coordinate policy and opposition
research, or anyone dedicated to task of building a broader Republican coalition. These and other
functions are basic to building and maintaining a competitive political organization. Although we
applaud the current Executive Director and his staff for their demonstrated ability to cover many of
these bases under very challenging circumstances, State Committee clearly needs additional staff. 1
We are aware that State Committee has resorted in the past to using outside consultants for many
important functions. Although we anticipate continued reliance on consultants in special circumstances,
or to fill gaps in expertise as State Committee goes through the rebuilding process, we believe that they
are no substitute for developing a viable in-house capacity.
We are also aware the hiring staff will be expensive. For this reason, we have included elsewhere in this
report sequenced recommendations for enhancing State Committee’s fundraising and specific strategies
for raising money to build a professional staff over the near and medium term.
20. Hire an experienced, professional in-house Finance Director

First things first. State Committee cannot move forward without ramping up its fundraising operation.
The first step --- ASAP --- should be to hire a seasoned fundraising professional to coordinate all
fundraising activities. Although a good fundraising professional will soon pay for him/herself, it may be
possible to defer some of the initial expense through a part-time, contingent fee, consulting, or similar
arrangement until such time as revenues increase.
First Action: Hire Finance Director
Who: State Chair
When: Jun-09
21. Hire a Political Director

A political director typically oversees training activities and field operations, including day-to-day
coordination between and among party organizations, campaigns, elected officials, and outside interest
groups. He or she also typically oversees the collection and management of what might be called
“political intelligence”. Cognizant of limited resources, but mindful of the importance of the 2010
election cycle, we have targeted this hire for February, 2010.
First Action: Hire a Political Director
Who: State Chair and Executive Director
When: Feb-10
1
As a point of reference only, we are informed that the Florida Republican Party currently has about 62
individuals on staff and that the Mississippi Republican State Committee has about eight staff members.
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22. Hire a Communications Director
State Committee needs a full-time Communications Director.
First Action: Hire a Communications Director
Who: State Chair and Executive Director
When: Aug-09
23. Hire a Digital Communications Coordinator

This Action Plan contemplates a range of important initiatives involving the Internet. In addition to
hiring a Communications Director, State Committee will need a staff member dedicated to the oversight
of all digital communications, including e-mail marketing, web pages, and online social networking.
Although it may be possible to start with a part-time staff member, we believe the role of Digital
Communications Coordinator will quickly will evolve into a core function within State Committee.
First Action: Hire a Digital Communications Coordinator
Who: Communications Director
When: Sep-09
24. Hire a Research Director

A research director coordinates policy and opposition research. In the former capacity, he/she needs to
build a network of relationships with outside policy experts. In the latter, he/she will need to develop
systems and procedures for monitoring the opposition and managing the collection of information.
Given limited resources and other priorities, we believe that State Committee could defer this hire until
the early summer of next year. Further, this position could at first be filled by a relatively junior person.
First Action: Hire a Research Director
When: Jun-10
25. Hire a Director of Coalitions and Inclusion

The Republican National Committee and many state committees have “coalitions” staff dedicated to
developing and maintaining relationships with a broad range of racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural
communities as well as organized labor and other groups. If New York State’s Republican Party is
serious about building a broader and more competitive party, it’s time to invest in hiring a Director of
Coalitions and Inclusion to oversee the development and execution of a Coalitions and Inclusion
Program (see related recommendation).
First Action: Hire a Director of Coalitions and Inclusion
Who: State Chair
When: Feb-10
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ENHANCING FUNDRAISING
We recognize that fundraising is critical to building a competitive New York Republican Party. We offer
the following recommendations both to fund implementation of this Action Plan as well as to strengthen
fundraising at the state and local levels.
26. Appoint a State Finance Chair

Elsewhere in this report we advocate hiring a fundraising professional. Although a Finance Director is
critical, s/he will need to work with a Finance Chair who in turn is capable of tapping into or building a
network of major donors. The State Chair should recruit and appoint the Finance Chair.
First Action: Recruit and appoint Finance Chair
Who: State Chair
When: Jun-09
27. Recruit a State Finance Committee

As mentioned above, the State Finance Chair’s priority should be to assemble a donor network. The first
step is to work with the State Chair and Finance Director to recruit a Finance Committee consisting of
fifteen or twenty individuals who are willing to take a leadership role in raising the funds necessary to
rebuild the party.
First Action: Recruit Finance Committee members
Who: Finance Chair, State Chair, and Finance Director
When: Jul-09
28. Develop and implement a Finance Plan

As a top priority, after fundraising to implement this Action Plan, the Finance Director should draft a
formal Finance Plan. A good plan will include specifics with regard to matters such as:
 Goals
 Strategy (are we selling ideas, ideology, or access?)
 Program structure (the desired mix of small, medium, and major donor programs such as
the former Empire and Governor’s Clubs)
 Fundraising channels (direct mail, Internet, telephone solicitation, events, etc.)
 Fundraising organization (staffing, use of consultants, etc.)
 Donor targeting (messaging) and maintenance
 Technology
First Action: Draft Finance Plan
Who: Finance Director
When: Aug-09
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29. Raise “seed” money to implement this Action Plan
Observers will note that this Action Plan contains a number of recommendations that will require
significant funding. To jump start the process, we recommend that the Finance Director’s first priority
should be to distribute a synopsis of this plan to major donors with a request that they “invest” in its
successful implementation by making a special contribution. Alternatively, these donors could be styled
as “Founders” of the party’s rebuilding effort.
First Action: Send solicitation with synopsis of Action Plan to major donors
Who: Finance Director
When: Jun-09
30. Institute county committee dues

Elsewhere in this report we note the importance of stabilizing State Committee’s finances and building a
sense of community among the organizations that, as a practical matter, comprise one integrated New
York State Republican Party. To serve both objectives, we recommend that every county committee be
obligated to pay modest annual dues to State Committee. One approach would be to divide the 62
counties into three roughly equal tiers based on population and charge $250, $1,000, and $2,500,
respectively. Assuming that 22 counties paid $250, 20 counties paid $1,000, and 20 counties paid
$2,500, the dues would raise $75,500, enough to cover expenses relating to a mid-level staff member.
What about enforcement? We recognize that enforced collection would be totally impractical. Instead
we suggest linking the dues program to a separate recommendation, later in this report, that State
Committee create a revenue sharing program to incentivize voter registration programs. For instance,
counties in arrears on dues could be subject to offsets against, or disqualification from, the revenue
sharing program. Alternatively, counties with enrollment increases could qualify for dues abatement.
When: Aug-09
31. Accept contributions via PayPal, Google Checkout, and ACH Debit
Making a donation to State Committee should be easy, convenient, and secure. Alternative payment
methods such as PayPal, Google Checkout, and ACH debit are gaining in popularity and influencing
donor expectations.
The first step will be to establish merchant accounts with Google and PayPal. The next step will be to
research ACH debit options with State Committee’s current bank and/or credit card service provider
First Action: Establish PayPal and Google Checkout merchant accounts
Who: Staff
When: Jul-09
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32. Hold regional State Committee fundraising events
We recognize the practical need to hold the traditional annual dinner in Manhattan. However, we
received substantial feedback suggesting that many upstate leaders and activists would welcome a
limited circuit of “affordable” and convenient regional fundraising events. In addition to raising some
money, these events could serve as regional networking opportunity and an important public forum for
prospective statewide candidates.
Our understanding is that State Committee is already working with the Vice Chairs to organize regional
events. To mitigate possible concerns that this would cannibalize local donor support, we recommend
that State Committee consider a results-oriented formula for sharing the proceeds with local county
organizations.
First Action: Recruit volunteers among regional Vice Chairs to help organize regional events in the fall
of 2009
Who: State Chair
When: Jun-09
33. Create an online “Victory List" to connect donors to priority local races
As part of our research, we debriefed both active and “lapsed” major Republican donors. Time and
again, these donors stressed their desire for accountability: some way of knowing that their
contributions are significant to the outcome of an important election. Although these donors readily
agreed that donations to candidates in local races can have a greater relative impact --- $2,500 to a
candidate for county legislature can make all the difference --- they expressed some frustration in
identifying the highest priorities among the hundreds of local races that take place across the state in
any given year.
At the national level, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has created ActBlue, an
“online clearinghouse for Democratic action” that connects donors with Democratic congressional
candidates in target districts across the nation. To be blunt, ActBlue has been extremely effective --- it
raised over $360,000 for the Democratic candidate in the recent special election for New York’s 20th
Congressional District --- and thus warrants the high compliment of imitation. Accordingly, we
recommend that State Committee create its own version --- an online New York Republican Victory List -
-- with simplifications and adjustments appropriate to the state and local context.
Specifically, we recommend that State Committee dedicate its Victory List to channeling donations to
approximately 25 key county and local races each year. For this purpose, we believe a “key” local race
should, at a minimum, be one in which control over a local legislative body (e.g. county legislature) or a
significant executive position (e.g. supervisor) is at stake and the Republican candidate is in a genuinely
competitive race. Establishing a fair and credible selection process, devoid of logrolling, will be critical.
We cannot envision a process that does not include extensive county chair involvement
Later in this report, we recommend the creation of a Victory 2009 Campaign. The Victory 2009
Campaign should constitute the first implementation of the Victory List concept.
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We believe that it will be possible to use a combination of in-house and volunteer resources to create an
online Victory List.
First Action: Design and post Victory List/Victory 2009 Campaign webpage
Who: Staff with volunteer web design assistance
When: Sep-09
BUILDING A STRONGER COMMUNITY
A political party is comparable to a community: a “community of interest” comprised of individuals and

organizations who share common values and perspectives with respect to society, the role of
government, and a wide range of public policy issues. If our extensive outreach to Republican leaders
and activists throughout the state yielded any single insight, it was that our New York State Republican
community is deeply fractured and disconnected, with some elements in a condition of growing
frustration and alienation.
At one level, the failure of our Republican community reflects a lack of basic internal communication. At
another, this failure also reflects the fact that we do not nurture and support a culture of
communication and collaboration within the party. The recommendations below attempt to address
the challenge at both levels.
34. Host and coordinate bi-weekly “Policy Briefing" teleconferences

Most political activists can trace their initial motivation for getting involved to an interest in public
policy. It follows that a focus on policy should play a significant role in building a sense of community
and teamwork among active Republicans. Accordingly, we recommend that State Committee
coordinate a regular bi-weekly “Policy Briefing” teleconference for county chairs, elected officials, State
Committee members, leaders of GOP auxiliary organizations, and invited GOP activists. The briefings
should be hosted by the State Chair, last no more than a half hour, and feature presentations on topical
issues by Republican elected officials or legislative policy staff. For instance, for a briefing in March, a
senior Republican Senator or a member of the State Senate Finance Committee staff might be invited to
outline the tax implications of the Governor’s budget proposal. For the sake of simplicity and security,
we do not recommend interactive sessions or tactical political discussion.
State Committee already has access to teleconference services. Assuming the existing service is scalable
to a larger audience, the major challenge will be to develop an e-mail invitation list and notice cycle.
First Action: Schedule first Policy Briefing
Who: Staff
When: Sep-09
35. Encourage more regular meetings/interaction among county chairs

Our Roundtables made it clear that effective county chairs are the linchpin of a competitive state party.
For better or worse, however, the structure of the statewide organization tends to leave each county
chair to his or her own devices, with only a limited need for interaction on a regional or statewide basis.
Interestingly, we received feedback from several chairs expressing a desire for more opportunities to
meet together informally as county chairs. Although we do not here recommend a specific action, we
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agree with the general sentiment. State Committee should explore the viability of hosting occasional
“retreats” for (and financed by) the county chairs. Similarly, the regional Vice Chairs can and should
take a leadership role in organizing regular regional events.
36. Mandate county chairs’ use of e-mail for State Committee business
Many county chairs do not have (or use) an e-mail address dedicated to their role as chair or use email
to communicate with State Committee. This is untenable. State Committee should make chairs’ use of
e-mail mandatory for all State Committee business.
When: Jul-09
37. Assign e-mail addresses to county chairs

State Committee should explore the feasibility of assigning e-mail addresses with a common format (e.g.
chair@[county].nysgop.org) and domain to each county chair. This would support a sense of community
and make it easier for both activists and outsiders to contact county chairs.
First Action: Research service providers
Who: Staff
When: Jul-09
38. Build a comprehensive database of e-mail addresses for Republican leaders and activists
Elsewhere in this report we detail the need to develop a data strategy. Any such data strategy will guide
the future use of e-mail, either on its own or as part of a future integrated CRM system. Commendably,
State Committee has taken steps over the past few years to increase its existing database of e-mail
addresses from a few thousand records to some 600,000 today. However, our understanding is that this
database is not structured or segmented into separate categories for donors, elected officials, State
Committee members, activists, rank-and-file Republican voters, etc. This limits the database’s utility.
Restructuring the existing database will take time and a plan. Initially, as it begins to develop a data
strategy, State Committee should take care to document its current and projected use of e-mail with a
view toward identifying a standard structure for the ongoing collection, categorization, and
maintenance of e-mail address data. A particular challenge will be to incorporate some geo-coding
where feasible.
As soon as it has identified a preliminary data structure, we recommend that State Committee reach out
to the county organizations and other Republican organizations for their help in gathering more e-mail
addresses. Specifically, State Committee should ask each organization to forward its own e-mail address
database in one of several common formats, with a promise of appropriate reciprocity.
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We recognize that maintaining and using a comprehensive address database will impose a significant
recurring expense, whether or not State Committee chooses to outsource the delivery function (as it
does now) and day-to-day maintenance to an outside vendor.
First Action: Send request for e-mail addresses to county chairs and Republican organizations
When: Aug-09
39. Create an online New York State Republican Community

The New York State Republican Party needs to engage “Web 2.0” technologies such social networking,
social news, and social media websites. Although State Committee does have a Facebook page, which is
an important (if currently underutilized) first step, our sense is that the Facebook application may not be
the best vehicle for building a vibrant online Republican community in New York State.
Instead, we recommend that State Committee establish and moderate an online network using Ning or
a similar social networking platform. Once established, the network should allow “members” to e-mail
each other, create groups for specific purposes, chat, and contribute to and share common information.
The network should also serve as an entry-point for volunteers to get more involved with State
Committee and/or local campaign and organizations.
The expense of setting up a network should be minimal. Establishing, marketing, and monitoring an
online community should be a core function of a new Digital Communications Coordinator (see related
recommendation).
First Action: Establishes network
Who: Digital Communications Coordinator
When: Aug-09
40. Recruit an online Republican Volunteer Army

In addition to, or perhaps as part of, the related initiatives of building a comprehensive e-mail address
database and an online community, we urge State Committee to focus on creating an “army” of action-
oriented volunteers and grassroots activists. We contemplate an online sign-up process and
coordination through e-mail, Meetup.com, Twitter, or a similar communications platform. Following on
a suggestion made at www.changetheparty.com, the New York State “army” should be linked to
Republican-oriented blogs and social networks.
Ultimately, we believe that a new Political Director (see related recommendation) should “own” and
manage the “army” program.
The first step will be to recruit a volunteer web designer to create a basic online sign-up or registration
process for integration into State Committee’s website and outbound digital communications.
First Action: Creates basic online sign-up process
Who: Volunteer web designer
When: Aug-09
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41. Expand and reposition the online Action Center
State Committee’s website contains an “Action Center” page with links to various functions such as
volunteering, making a donation, contacting the media, and calling talk radio. We applaud the thinking
behind this initiative, and urge State Committee to follow through with a robust implementation.
Specifically, we recommend a slight repositioning of the Action Center to focus on providing Republican
activists with tools to organize “citizens’ campaigns” in relation to state and local issues on an ad hoc
basis. For example, the Action Center should support online petition drives and mass delivery of e-mail
messages to elected officials.
Maintaining a robust Action Center will require a moderate recurring financial commitment.
First Action: Evaluate off-the-shelf web/software solutions
Who: Political Director, Communications Director, and Digital Communications Coordinator
When: Nov-09
42. Send a “Welcome Package” to newly-registered Republicans

As Alex de Tocqueville observed in the 1830s, Americans are “joiners” and, as such, appreciate being
welcomed into a group. Accordingly, we recommend that State Committee create a template
“Welcome Package” for county chairs to send to newly enrolled Republicans on an annual or semi-
annual basis. The Welcome Package might include a letter from the county chair, a standard one-page
“Guide to Getting Involved,” a return postage-paid postcard asking for e-mail addresses, volunteer
interests, etc., and a sticker, pin, or other modest token of membership in the New York Republican
Party.
Acquiring and distributing membership tokens will involve modest expense at the State Committee
level.
First Action: Draft template Welcome Package
Who: Staff
When: Sep-09
43. Encourage all New York Republican organizations to use the same logo and related
graphics
It may seem a very small point, but cultivating a common “look” can play an important role in building a
sense of community. We therefore recommend that State Committee encourage all recognized
Republican organizations to use the State Committee logo (see front cover) and related graphics in their
digital and printed communications.
First Action: Distribute State Committee logo(s) and related graphics to Republican organizations
Who: Staff
When: Jun-09
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COORDINATING STATE-LEVEL REPUBLICAN LEA DERSHIP
In the absence of a Republican Governor, the state-level Republican leadership consists of three
organizations: State Committee and the Republican conferences of the State Senate and State Assembly,
respectively. Each of these organizations has its own institutional priorities.
State Committee is the putative coordinator of the State Republican Party at the state and local levels.
Generally, State Committee has been stronger and more aggressive as a Republican leadership
organization during periods when there has not been a Republican Governor. For obvious reasons,
Republican Governors in the modern era have tended to exercise significant influence over State
Committee and its leadership, to the point that State Committee over time became little more than a re-
elect organization for the Governor. We would argue that this entirely natural tendency eventually
sapped State Committee of the institutional capacity to stand on its own as a competitive political
organization, and augured an enormous leadership vacuum after the Governor’s departure.
A tradition of strong legislative leadership dating back to the 1970s has further complicated the situation
in New York State. Over the course of more than 40 years in majority status, the Senate Republican
conference accreted institutional and political power that rivaled that of any Governor. Before losing
the majority in 2008, the Senate Republicans controlled a vast amount of patronage and, through the
Senate Republican Campaign Committee (SRCC), operated a sophisticated, well-financed, entirely
independent political operation that not only handled all political matters relating to the State Senate
but, in the absence of a Republican Governor, superseded State Committee as the leading statewide
Republican political operation. Even now, the Senate Republicans are, for all intents and purposes, the
center of Republican activity in the state.
Similarly, the Assembly Republican conference, in the minority since 1975, has created a separate
political infrastructure that is functionally independent of State Committee. Although it has of necessity
operated on a much smaller scale, the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee (RACC) also provides
its clients --- members of the Republican Assembly conference --- with a range of campaign-related
services and support.
It is not our purpose to debate or question the merits of the SRCC and RACC, nor will we review the
history of why these organizations were formed and how they grew, except to refer the reader to the
extensive academic work that has documented and analyzed the growing role of both state and federal
legislative campaign committees over the last few decades.2 The SRCC and RACC exist and will continue
to exist.3 The challenge for State Committee is to craft strategies for working with both the SRCC and
RACC to help the Republican Party at every level become more competitive.
The first step is to understand the implications of co-existing with relatively strong legislative campaign
committees. Beyond the obvious fact that the SRCC and RACC compete with State Committee with
regard to raising money, hiring talented professionals, shaping the Republican message, garnering press
attention, and influencing nominations for Senate and Assembly seats, there is a critical institutional
distinction: the state party is a political organization, whereas the SRCC and RACC are campaign
2
See for example, Bibby, John F. and Thomas M. Holbrook. 2004. “Parties and Elections.” In Politics in
the American States, 8th ed., eds. Russell L. and Virginia Gray. Washington D.C.: CQ Press, Page 76.
3
Interestingly, State Committee’s bylaws describe the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee and
the Senate Republican Campaign Committee as “Party Committees within the meaning of Article 14 of
the New York State Election Law; to be coterminous with the State Committee and to function as an
integral part there of*sic+.” Article VI, Rule 2.
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committees. As a political organization, a political party exists to organize and support a specifically
partisan political movement, and to provide a framework for organizing government when its
candidates secure power. By contrast, a campaign committee exists for the sole purpose of winning an
election, which generally requires 50 percent of the vote plus one.
Why does this distinction matter? Simply stated, winning a specific election and building a competitive
political party are not one and the same thing. Indeed, as recent New York State political history
suggests, a campaign’s drive to win a specific election at any cost can lead to tactical decisions that
arguably undermine party building, such as securing cross-designation, seeking cross-party
endorsements, or participating in “non-aggression pacts”.
We do not begrudge a candidate’s (or campaign committee’s) right to make rational tactical choices in
the context of a campaign. Rather, we raise the distinction to make the point that State Committee, the
SRCC and RACC do not and will never share a 100 percent commonality of interest. But that need not be
a “bad thing”. The recommendations below reflect our view that a high degree of cooperation can
mitigate any negative impact from an occasional divergence of interest and, indeed, that it is possible to
manage the divergence for mutual benefit.
44. Reestablish principals-only meetings and/or conference calls between the State Chair
and the Republican legislative leaders
We were informed that at one time in recent past the State Chair and the Republican leaders of the two
legislative houses had a regular weekly lunch meeting or call during the Legislative Session to review
current issues and coordinate communications strategies. To promote a candid exchange, these events
were restricted to principals only. Notwithstanding the possibility of objections from staff, we
recommend reestablishing these private meetings on a regular basis as of the beginning of the next
Session.
First Action: Re-establish regular meetings/conference calls
Who: State Chair
When: Jan-10
45. Establish weekly tactical meetings and/or conference calls between State Committee
staff and staff of the Senate and Assembly campaign committees
Although there already is some degree of informal communication between State Committee and the
legislative campaign committees, we received feedback that highlighted a real need for a more formal
structure to support ongoing collaboration, especially with respect to tactical matters. For instance, in
dealing with controversial issues, it may make sense for State Committee, rather than an elected official,
to moot untested ideas in public. Accordingly, we recommend a weekly meeting and/or conference call
with both the legislative committees’ senior staff.
First Action: Begin weekly meeting/calls
When: Jun-09
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46. Invite the Senate Campaign Committee to locate at 315 State Street
The Assembly Republican Campaign Committee currently occupies one floor at 315 State Street in
Albany. This makes financial sense for RACC and facilitates day-to-day informal collaboration. By
contrast, the Senate Campaign Committee occupies leased space in a commercial office building a few
minutes’ walk away. As a matter of simple common sense, we believe all parties would benefit were the
Senate Committee to relocate and take space at 315 State Street upon expiration of its current lease.
There is space available. We therefore recommend that State Committee extend an offer to the Senate
as soon as practicable.
First Action: Extend offer
Who: State Chair
When: Jun-09
47. Use RACC and SRCC campaign operatives for Victory 2009 campaign
The pool of New York Republican campaign-related expertise is limited. Elsewhere in this report, we
recommend a focused “Victory 2009” campaign to focus on key local races. In the interests of improving
collaboration and developing in-house talent and experience, we here recommend that State
Committee coordinate, and help cover the costs of, assigning SRCC and RAAC campaign operatives to
Victory 2009 campaigns.
First Action: Draft proposal
When: Jul-09
48. Provide communications internship opportunities

State Committee does not currently have a Communications Director. At the same time, there are
plenty of younger Republican communications specialists in Albany who would welcome a chance to
gain hands-on political experience. As a mutually beneficial training opportunity, and to help build a
corps of experienced Republican communications staffers, it might make sense for State Committee to
offer a limited number of after-hours communications internships at Headquarters. The key will be to
provide these volunteers with worthwhile projects and experience, which will require some continuing
oversight.
First Action: Define volunteer opportunities for communications staff
When: Nov-09
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STRENGTHENING LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND CAMPAIGNS
In a previous section, we offered recommendations for strengthening the state-level Republican

infrastructure. As important as those steps are, they will have little practical impact over the long term
unless State Committee takes a leadership role in strengthening local Republican organizations and
campaigns.
We believe State Committee should begin the process in three ways. First, State Committee should
provide local Republican organizations and campaigns with access to tools and services they need to be
more competitive. Second, State Committee should not shy away from setting expectations with regard
to performance. Finally, State Committee should define and oversee a locally-focused 2009 campaign
program that will deliver tangible results, valuable experience, and organizational momentum going into
the all-important 2010 election cycle.
PROVIDING USEFUL TOO LS AND SERVICES
What is the appropriate role of a state-level political party organization?

At the outset, we believe that it is both unrealistic and ultimately undesirable for State Committee to try
to recapture the power and control of a nineteenth century political party organization. The
institutional mechanisms that once supported an authoritarian leadership model --- pervasive
patronage, indirect elections, party-only fundraising, and nomination by party convention rather than
primaries --- no longer exist. Instead of relying on formal authority, or the ghost of it, State Committee
will have to earn its authority if it is to once again play a significant role in New York State politics.
Based on our outreach to key state and local leaders, and a review of academic research concerning the
evolving role of modern state party organizations, we believe that State Committee can be most
effective --- and therefore influential --- by repositioning itself as a service organization and knowledge
center for Republican candidates and local organizations. The recommendations below frame a vision
for how State Committee can begin to build out this important new role.
49. Create an online "Victory Center" with campaign-related tools and services
We recommend the creation of an online “Victory Center” to serve as the linchpin and focal point of a
forthcoming effort to reposition State Committee as a service organization and knowledge center.
Specifically, we envision the Victory Center as the mechanism by which State Committee would maintain
and deliver a suite of campaign-related tools and services to authorized local campaigns and
committees. To maintain quality and curb maintenance and training-related expenses, we believe that
the suite should be limited to a handful of core tools and services. These might include:
 Database templates;
 Campaign web page templates;
 Web page and online campaign calendar hosting;
 Voter databases/GOTV lists;
 Media lists and advocacy lists;
 Absentee ballot program templates;
 Vendor Resources Guide and contacts (see related recommendation);
 Training materials, including streaming video;
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 Customizable marketing material and royalty-free images;
 Campaign committee formation and finance compliance guides and templates;
 Mailing resources, including process suggestions and USPS compliance information; and
 Polling samples and call lists.
We envision the Victory Center evolving over time as State Committee builds up its service capacity.
Although there will be some initial expense involved in setting up the Victory Center, and ongoing
expenses for maintenance, we believe that there are opportunities for State Committee to leverage
“content” that already exists at the national and local levels. For instance, several county organizations
hold excellent campaign schools. Why not make video clips of these sessions available on the Victory
Center?
First Action: Identify core services and requirements
When: Aug-09
50. Build a basic digital video studio at Headquarters

With the explosion of YouTube and related web sites and technologies, the distribution of self-created
video content has become an essential component of any candidate’s or elected official’s
communications strategy. In light of obvious restrictions that apply to the use of government-funded
facilities, we found strong interest among Republican elected officials for access to a basic digital video
recording studio in Albany that could be used for both partisan and routine communications. For
example, if such a facility were available, Republican legislators could tape a short statement in reaction
to the Governor’s budget message. Within minutes, State Committee could distribute the clip to the
legislator’s home television stations and upload it to the legislator’s campaign website or blog.
Assuming an upgrade in State Committee’s systems infrastructure (see related recommendations),
building a basic video studio should not require a huge investment. In fact, we suspect a “low budget
look” could be just as effective as a commercial-grade studio costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
First Action: Research equipment options
When: Jan-10
51. Establish online Vendor Resources Guide

Finding and managing outside vendors for critical campaign functions such as polling or mail processing
can be a challenge for even the most sophisticated campaign. Most new candidates (not to mention the
cousin they recruited to serve as a volunteer campaign manager) have no idea what services are really
needed, how they fit together, or what they should cost --- let alone who is a reliable service provider.
We think State Committee could provide a major service to Republican candidates across the state by
developing a simple online Vendor Resources Guide. Ideally, the Guide would briefly describe the major
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vendor functions, provide approximate cost ranges, enumerate “best practice” contract terms, and
include contact information for any vendor who is willing to provide references.
First Action: Draft Vendor Resources Guide

Who: Summer intern, with help and contributions from selected vendors
When: Aug-09
52. Facilitate regional candidate training and campaign works hops

When asked what they want or expect from State Committee, a majority of local leaders and activists
said that they would welcome more --- and more accessible --- campaign training seminars or
workshops. We agree and are pleased to report that State Committee has already taken steps to
coordinate training at the regional level.
Although it is likely that State Committee staff will conduct some of the training, State Committee
should focus on leveraging existing training programs and resources. As noted elsewhere, certain
counties stage regular training programs. We encountered several local volunteer trainers who
expressed a willingness to replicate their workshop sessions in another region. Moreover, State
Committee can facilitate access to national training resources such as the Leadership Institute, which
provides political training in regional locations across the nation for a nominal fee, and GOPAC.
As it begins to build out its training role, we recommend that State Committee inventory existing
training opportunities and consolidate the information on its website.
First Action: Inventory existing training activities and opportunities
Who: Staff
When: Jul-09
53. Provide ongoing Voter Vault training

State Committee serves as the state coordinator for Voter Vault, the Republican National Committee’s
enhanced voter file. From time to time, State Committee has offered training to county committee
leaders and campaign staff in the use of Voter Vault, only to see usage drop off as trained volunteers
cycle out of campaigns.
Ultimately, a modern data management strategy at State Committee (see related recommendation) will
lead to different and more efficient ways of sharing the Voter Vault resource. In the interim, however,
we urge State Committee to extend another offer of training in time for the 2009 election cycle.
First Action: Extend offer to county chairs
When: Jun-09
54. Market the New York State Republican Lawyers Association

Members of the Republican National Lawyers Association’s New York State Chapter play an important
role in helping New York candidates with petitioning, ballot access, ballot security, ballot litigation,
recounts, and compliance. The Chapter also coordinates continuing legal education (CLE) opportunities.
Page 28
We recommend that State Committee cultivate a closer working relationship with the New York State
Republican Lawyers Association. To that end, a good start would be to post the Chapter’s contact
information on its website and also link to the national association’s website at www.RNLA.org.
First Action: Update website links
Who: Staff
When: Jun-09
55. Establish a New York State Republican Speakers’ Bureau

Just behind training and fundraising, local leaders’ top request with respect to State Committee was for
help in securing speakers for fundraising and other events. Accordingly, we recommend that State
Committee create a Speakers’ Bureau to serve as a clearinghouse resource.
Maintaining an effective Speakers’ Bureau will be more of a challenge than one might expect. Normally,
one would expect a Bureau to recruit speakers, solicit and manage requests for speakers, and connect
speakers with individual events. Aside from the considerable ongoing work involved, this approach
ignores the tension that will always exist between local organizations’ desire for a truly prominent
“name” speaker --- someone who by definition is unlikely to sign up for a Speakers’ Bureau roster --- and
the more realistic availability of lesser-known speakers who would like to become more prominent.
Unmet expectations will soon discredit the initiative.
We therefore suggest a more modest approach. With respect to recruiting a roster of speakers, we
believe State Committee should focus on a few specific categories: aspiring statewide candidates, local
elected leaders who are looking to raise their regional profile, and speakers who offer “content” in the
form of expertise in fields such as law, economics, journalism, medicine, or science.
With respect to managing the connection between speakers and events, we think a more realistic and
sustainable approach would be for State Committee to list basic background and contact information
concerning available speakers on its website and invite event sponsors to initiate their own contact.
State Committee already maintains an event calendar on its website, so aspiring statewide and regional
candidates should continue to enjoy a one-stop scheduling resource.
First Action: Begin recruiting roster of speakers
Who: Staff
When: Aug-09
56. Make a skills workshop session a part of every State Committee -sponsored meeting
Elsewhere we detail recommendations relating to State Committee-sponsored meetings. To make these
meetings more productive for those who attend, and to provide a useful service to local organizations,
we recommend that State Committee hold at least one short campaign skills-related workshop in
conjunction with every meeting it organizes. These workshops could address topics such as media
relations, fundraising, leveraging new technologies, and using Voter Vault. Instead of “reinventing the
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wheel,” State Committee should leverage the knowledge that already exists within the organization by
asking county leaders to lead some of these sessions.
First Action: Recruit a county chair to lead first workshop at the next regular meeting
When: Sep-09
57. Create a “Policy Resources” page on the State Committee website

To compliment the Action Center concept, State Committee should create and maintain a webpage with
categorized links to appropriate policy organizations and resources at the state and national level. This
should be a relatively static resource requiring minimal maintenance.
First Action: Identify and post links.
Who: Summer intern
When: Aug-09
SETTING EXPECTATIONS
No organization can expect high performance without setting and managing expectations for itself and
for its key stakeholders. Our review revealed deep levels of justifiable frustration arising from the
absence of coherent expectations. State Committee does not articulate and enforce clear expectations
with respect to the county and local committees. The local committees, in turn, have learned not
expect much of anything from State Committee. At the same time, to the extent that they do exist,
expectations are often misplaced or unrealistic.
Lacking formal enforcement mechanisms, State Committee will have to set and enforce expectations
through education and public accountability, and by setting an example. The recommendations below
address the former strategy, while this Action Plan as a whole should serve as a first step in addressing
the latter.
58. Develop and distribute a County Chairs’ Manual

Several newly-appointed county chairs admitted that they would welcome the availability of a Chairs’
Manual to orient them on how a county organization should function, legal and compliance matters,
and their new responsibilities as chair. We think this is a perfect opportunity for one of our experienced
and talented county chairs to step forward and share his or her expertise
First Action: Recruit a volunteer county chair to draft a Chairs’ Manual
Who: State Chair
When: Jun-09
59. Update the Guide for County Committee Members and include State Committee members
Some years ago, State Committee distributed a Guide for County Committee Members that was basic,
but nevertheless quite well received. We urge State Committee to update the Guide and expand it to
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include the role of State Committee members. The Guide should be available for download from State
Committee’s website.
First Action: Update Guide for County Committee and State Committee Members
Who: Staff
When: Sep-09
60. Inventory Republicans holding New York State elective offices

New York State has some 3,000 separate governmental units, most of which include at least one elective
office. How many, or what percentage, of these offices are held by Republicans?
In the belief that baselining is critical to setting expectations, we recommend that State Committee
coordinate a statewide inventory of elective offices and Republican office holders (including registered
Republicans who hold “nonpartisan” seats in local government). This will give State Committee a solid
foundation to document and promote our momentum as we successfully rebuild a competitive state
party.
We believe that county chairs should be a key resource in compiling the necessary information, perhaps
by means of a questionnaire.
First Action: Distribute questionnaire to county chairs

Who: Summer Intern
When: Jul-09
PUTTING POINTS ON THE BOARD
Although it is fashionable --- and no doubt correct --- to observe that political trends are cyclical, we
believe that there is a very real danger that our party’s recent string of electoral defeats portends a
long-term and self-perpetuating culture of defeatism that will make eventual recovery more difficult.
We cannot allow that to happen. To be blunt, the New York Republican Party needs to “put points on
the board” to remind itself, its supporters, the media, and the general public that we are back in the
game, making a positive contribution to our communities, and organizing to win.
The recommendations below call for two discrete strategies. First, and most importantly, we are calling
for a major focus on the 2009 election cycle. Second, as a longer-term strategy, we recommend adding
a community service component to local organizations’ portfolio of activities as one way to make
involvement in Republican organizations more rewarding and purposeful, especially in communities
where our chances of immediate electoral success are remote.
61. Create and execute a Victory 2009 Campaign

We believe the 2009 elections represent a crucial opportunity to set the stage for a Republican
resurgence in 2010, but only if we move beyond the mindset of defeat and recrimination and start
organizing to win. To drive the process, we strongly urge State Committee to create a Victory 2009
campaign to focus resources and attention to 25 key local races around the state.
Broadly, we envision Victory 2009 as having at least five organizational components:
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 State Committee should work with the county chairs to identify 25 key county or local-level
races that meet the “Victory List” criteria for both consequence and competitiveness (see
related recommendations). To start the process, we suggest that State Committee ask each
county leader to nominate two or three local races. We urge the county chairs to focus on local
races in which a relatively small amount of money and organization could have a major impact.
 State Committee should designate a Victory 2009 Chair, a prominent Republican who is willing
to serve as the spokesperson for the statewide campaign and coordinate fundraising.
 The Victory 2009 Chair should work with State Committee to develop a Victory 2009 “Offering
Statement,” a document with detailed information about each race and candidate. The Offering
Statement should serve as the focal point of efforts to convince major donors to “invest” in the
campaign.
 State Committee and the Victory 2009 Chair should offer special briefings and regular feedback
to Victory donors throughout the course of the campaign.
 State Committee should offer a separate round of workshops and/or campaign schools for
Victory 2009 Campaign candidates and their staff (if they have one).
We appreciate that some will criticize this initiative as little more than a tactical retreat. Those critics
might be right. Nonetheless, we believe it is absolutely crucial to demonstrate to ourselves, and to the
public and media, that organization and focus can make the difference between victory and continuing
defeat.
First Actions: (1) Designate Victory 2009 Chair, and (2) invite chairs to nominate up to three races
Who: State Chair
When: Jul-08
62. Facilitate a citywide Republican New York City Council Campaign

Republicans currently occupy just three out of 51 seats in the New York City Council. Thanks to term
limits and the New York City Public Campaign Finance Program, the 2009 City Council elections offer a
significant opportunity both to pick up additional seats and build stronger Republican legislative
candidacies for 2010.
The City’s Campaign Finance Program offers participating candidates a 6:1 match on qualifying
contributions up to $175. This means that, with a minimum of effort and organization, most candidates
can raise and spend enough money to be credible. Even if the candidate loses a race for City Council in
2009, he or she will have earned a head start in terms of public profile (and experience) going into a next
attempt. This argues strongly for recruiting candidates for City Council in 2009 who are willing to
consider running for State Legislature in 2010. Moreover, to the extent that each candidate, whether
winning or losing, emphasizes common Republican themes in 2009, the party as a whole will benefit.
Taking all this together, one of the City’s county chairs suggested that State Committee could play a
facilitating role in putting together a “citywide” City Council Campaign in 2009. We agree. Keeping a
careful eye on the Campaign Finance Program’s requirements and restrictions, we think that State
Committee should help recruit candidates for 2009 and, with the city chairs, coordinate the
development of generic Republican marketing material. Candidates could use this material in their
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campaign and/or agree to share in the cost of pro-Republican citywide TV, radio and/or newspaper
advertising.
State Committee should organize a citywide City Council fundraiser to launch the campaign. Although
the costs and proceeds from the event will have to apportioned among the participating candidates, we
believe that a single fundraiser will generate more interest (and money) than some participating
candidates would likely garner on their own.
First Action: Schedule a citywide Republican City Council fundraiser

Who: Staff
When: Aug-09
63. Encourage Republican volunteer community service programs

Winning elections can’t be the only way to “put points on the board” if involvement in Republican
organizations is to be positive, rewarding, and purposeful, especially in communities where Republican
candidates are not competitive currently. Accordingly, and with a nod to the traditional Republican
emphasis on volunteerism and personal responsibility, we urge a new emphasis on community service
within our local Republican organizations.
Specifically, we recommend that State Committee affirmatively promote the idea that every local
Republican organization, as a Republican organization, sponsor or participate in at least one community
service project or event each year. This should not be a major burden. Many elected officials and local
organizations are already involved in a wide range of volunteer events --- from park cleanups, clothing
drives, charity sports events to Thanksgiving turkey drives --- and find it excellent way to attract positive
local press and recruit new volunteers.
As a first step, we recommend that State Committee draft a short Community Service Guide for local
Republican organizations with specific, actionable ideas for events or community service projects.
First Action: Draft Community Service Guide

Who: Staff
When: Dec-09
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IMPROVING CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
Nearly every Republican leader and activist we encountered stressed the overriding importance of
improving the way in which we recruit and select candidates. The challenge has at least two
components. First, of course, is the need to identify, recruit, and support talented individuals who are
willing to represent the Republican Party. Second, in those cases where many potential candidates step
forward, we need to find ways of settling on the best candidate without alienating the other candidates
and their supporters.
RATIONALIZING THE PROCESS
Process matters. In areas of the state where we have been losing elections, local Republican leaders and
activists complained, repeatedly, of a lack of a rational candidate selection process. By contrast, in
regions where we have been winning elections, local leaders and activists attributed much of their
success to having taken the time to institute and follow a rational candidate selection process. This is
not an accident.
64. Establish a fair, open, and early screening process for 2010 statewide candidates
The 2010 election cycle will include races for five statewide offices, all now held by Democrats: two
members of the United States Senate, Governor/Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and Comptroller.
Given the need to raise the enormous sums of money necessary to build a competitive statewide
campaign organization, we cannot hope to mount a credible challenge in any of these races unless we
start organizing now. To that end, and with due deference to opposing viewpoints, we believe that the
party must identify its candidates as soon as practicable.
Accordingly, we strongly recommend that State Committee establish and execute a mandatory
screening process for all potential statewide candidates during the summer of 2009. The process should
be open to all credible candidates and should include a significant regional component, such as regional
caucuses or meetings. To be blunt, any candidate who wants the party’s support should be willing to
travel the state and become familiar with local leaders, issues, and concerns. There is no short-cut or
substitute for “showing up” as a means of building local credibility and enthusiasm.
In setting up a screening process, State Committee will have to work with or around portions of its by-
laws that provide that an “Executive Committee Advisory Group” screen statewide candidates. 4
First Action: Announce 2009 statewide screening process
Who: State Chair
When: Jun-09
65. Mandate an open screening process for nominations to state or federal office
Although we have highlighted the need to set up an open and geographically diverse screening process
for our 2010 statewide candidates, we also strongly recommend that State Committee insist on an open
screening process for all nominations to federal and state office, especially with respect to districts that
4
Article 5, Rule 5.
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cross county lines. Judging from the frustration and anger expressed at almost all of our Roundtable
sessions, this is a topic of extreme importance to our local leaders and activists.
We support holding open primaries or conventions whenever possible. However, in considering how
best to approach this issue, which at heart remains a local issue, we recommend that State Committee
avoid imposing a single process and instead amend its by-laws to set minimum procedural standards for
multi-county candidate selection. Those standards should include, but not be limited to: geographic
diversity, open voting, and an equal and fair opportunity for each candidate to make a presentation and
be interviewed.

When: Aug-09
66. Facilitate county committees’ access to demographic and polling data

Many local leaders claimed that, in favoring particular candidates over local preferences, the SRCC and
RACC have cited, but not shared, demographic and polling data. Conversely, SRCC and RACC officials
expressed frustration that local organizations often ignore polling and demographic data and instead
opt for the “next guy in line”. From our perspective, the only way out of this unproductive loop is for
the SRCC, RAAC, and State Committee to share polling data with local chairs as early in the cycle as
possible.
As a practical matter, it is difficult to imagine a sharing of polling data without a syndication of costs.
Local organizations will have to be willing to shoulder at least a small portion of the burden.
Accordingly, we recommend that State Committee use its good offices to draft a template
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the SRCC, RACC, and local committees that establishes
ground rules for sharing polling data and costs.
As a longer-range option, State Committee may find it makes sense to coordinate an annual baseline
survey for the Republican Party as a whole, syndicating the costs across the various campaigns and
organizations that use the data.
First Action: Draft MOU
When: Mar-10
67. Create a Bulk Mail Coordinating Council

Notwithstanding television, telephones, and the growth of e-mail and the Internet, New York Republican
candidates and committees still spend millions each year on mail. Bulk mail advertising is a specialty
function. Too often, a lack of coordination vis-à-vis vendors and unfamiliarity with U.S. Postal Service
mail handling processes and requirements can result in significant waste.
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To help Republican campaigns and committees get the most from their mailing dollars, we recommend
that State Committee establish a Bulk Mail Coordinating Council, open to any Republican committee or
campaign. The Council would meet or teleconference informally several times a year to share
information on vendors, pricing, Post Office policies and procedures, and upcoming projects.
First Action: Create Bulk Mail Coordinating Council
When: Oct-09
BUILDING A BENCH
It is axiomatic that growing, dynamic, and competitive organizations --- whether in business, the non-
profit sector, or politics --- routinely identify and nurture talent within. Elsewhere we offer
recommendations for highlighting the success of our up-and-coming officeholders and for building a
corps of activists with modern campaign-related skills and experience. In this section, we offer a few
additional recommendations for building a bench.
68. Encourage all first-time candidates benefitting from State Committee ’s services and
programs to attend, or have a staff member attend, a campaign workshop
Given limited resources, it is not unreasonable to encourage first-time candidates to meet a threshold of
basic training before State Committee makes an investment in their candidacy in the form of support
services or mail programs.
First Action: Announce new policy
When: Jun-09
69. Have our local “stars” carry the Republican message

In the absence of statewide Republican elected officials, we urge State Committee to use local or
regional elected Republicans to help carry the Weekly Message (see related recommendation) or
provide rapid response to the opposition’s actions. Making this a regular practice will help diversity the
public face of the party and build a corps of emerging Republicans with experience in dealing with
regional and statewide media.
First Action: Recruit a roster of willing local officials
When: Sep-09
70. Create a mentor program to connect inexperienced candidates with sea soned
officeholders
Anyone who has ever run for elective office knows the feeling of being totally alone in a crowd. Too
often, the enthusiastic new candidate succumbs to “candidate-itis,” the symptoms of which include
completely unrealistic expectations (“forget the 5-1 enrollment disadvantage, I’m going to win!!!”) and
the overwhelming temptation to try to micro-manage every aspect of his or her campaign. Similarly,
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inexperienced candidates often surround themselves with a coterie of expensive professional advisors
who overload the candidate with advice and inevitably shut him or her off from friends and former
business or professional colleagues. Either way, there are very few new candidates would not benefit
from having a mentor.
Although far short of a “silver bullet,” we think it would be helpful if State Committee sponsored an
informal mentor program to link new Republican candidates with seasoned officeholders, preferably
ones from outside their immediate region. A starting place would be to draft a program description and
then identify current or former office holders who would be willing to serve as mentors.
First Action: Draft program description
Who: Staff
When: Jun-10
71. Encourage local committees to field Republican candidates in every local election
The failure of local committees to field Republican candidates in some local elections sends a terrible
message to our rank-and-file and is deeply corrosive. Our party cannot hope to be credible and
competitive on a broader basis without being willing to “show up” and ask for votes at the local level,
even when there is little chance of success. Just as every candidate can contribute to delivering the
Republican message, every voter who turns out for a long-shot local candidate is a potential vote in
support of our regional and statewide candidates. Moreover, experience suggests that second- and
third-time candidacies are often much more competitive.
We recognize that recruiting good candidates for “hopeless’ campaigns is difficult. Although we think
monetary incentives are unrealistic in the current environment, we think that State Committee should
explore a variety of alternative tactics to encourage local committees to field a full slate of candidates.
To begin with, State Committee should establish a non-binding performance standard and publicly
recognize county committees who meet or exceed that standard. Further, State Committee might
explore ways of making long-shot candidacies more attractive by, for instance, helping former
candidates with business or professional networking opportunities, or helping them organize to run
again. Too often, losing candidates feel used and either disappear or become embittered instead of
staying involved.
First Action: Define non-binding performance standard
Who: State Chair
When: Mar-10
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REBUILDING THE NEW YORK STATE REPUBLICAN BRAND
The 2008 election defeats clearly indicated broad disapproval of, and/or disillusionment with, the
Republican Party’s “brand”. Although the need to rebuild our brand is obvious, the specifics as to how
to rebuild are not, largely because the challenge is enormous and has multiple facets. Our
recommendations reflect several key themes arising from our outreach and research:
First, there is, or ought to be, a distinction between the national Republican brand and the New York
State Republican brand. We readily concede that for most voters, most of the time, the distinction will
be little more than a nuance. Yet that “New York nuance” has been, and will again be, critical to our
competitiveness.
Second, laundry lists of policy positions on issues or statements of core principles can reflect, but do not
constitute, a political brand identity. Accordingly, we have avoided the temptation to try and define
what a “New York Republican” is or should be in terms of specific policy positions. Simply put, we
believe that any attempt to identify, market, and enforce a comprehensive list of New York Republican
policy positions would be both impractical and ineffective.
Third, after considering alternative ways of framing the “branding issue,” we have come to believe that
the most constructive approach is to think of our Republican brand as a function of two components:
our candidates, and our officeholders’ performance.
Finally, taking all the above together, we urge the New York State Republican Party to consider the
concept of “performance” in all of its manifestations --- accountability, efficiency, effectiveness, reform,
responsiveness, delivering real solutions, etc. --- as the “New York nuance” referenced above and a
suitable thematic framework for rebuilding our brand at the state and local level. We could do worse
that to become New York’s “party of performance.”
MODERNIZING THE MESSAGE
We are inclined to make a distinction between branding --- establishing a conceptual framework that
defines the party’s public profile --- and messaging, which we believe involves articulating, managing,
and delivering specific messages on issues that will secure the broadest possible support for our
candidates and policy positions.
To be blunt, the New York Republican Party needs to modernize its message to reinvigorate its base and
to appeal to new generations and new blocs of voters. But what message? Within our commission, at
least three distinct, but not necessarily inconsistent, points of view emerged.
A first group feels strongly that the party should make it a priority to differentiate Republican positions
from Democratic ones. Time and again, the Commission heard variations of the same basic complaint:
the New York Republican Party “doesn’t stand for anything anymore;” its elected officials have strayed
from the party’s “core principles” and thus angered and alienated its base; and, given a choice, the
voting public will generally choose the “real” Democrat over an “imitation model”.
The challenge in “differentiation” is to articulate “Republican” positions on controversial issues without
alienating key components of our coalition. Although easily stated, this challenge has multiple facets
that frustrate over-generalization. For instance, even if one accepts the premise that indeed the party
once “stood for something,” individual Republicans will disagree as to what that “something” was or
should be. For some, the “something” is a specific list of policy positions on issues such as taxes,
spending, regulation, guns, abortion, etc. Others think the “something” is set of human attributes such
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as competence, efficiency, honesty, and individual responsibility. Still others frame the “something” as a
core set of values, typically social, cultural, and fiscal conservatism.
Similarly, the accusation that elected leaders have compromised the party’s principles begs several
questions: Who is authorized to establish the party’s “core principles”? Can or should those principles
vary by state or region? What mechanisms should exist to enforce adherence?
A second group advocates the view that our party and candidates should eschew efforts to articulate
broad principles and instead simply focus on the priorities that we as Republican mostly agree on: fiscal
restraint, low taxes, and limited government. The challenge here, of course, is that the Democrats have
proven quite capable of crowding the center (“triangulating”) on these issues.
A third group takes a page from former House Speaker Newt Ginrich‘s playbook in asserting that we
should identify a handful of positions on issues that (a) most Republicans support, (b) most voters
support, but that (c) many Democratic officeholders and interest groups cannot, or will not, support.
For example, this group would have the Republican Party strongly support the New York City Mayor’s
continued control over the City’s school system and oppose Democratic efforts to eliminate the secret
ballot for union organization elections.
What’s the correct approach? Frankly, we don’t know. In the absence of opinion research, we cannot
tell where we stand, let alone where we should go. We need data.
72. Conduct a baseline statewide strategic survey

Notwithstanding a surfeit of armchair prognostications from party elders, op-ed contributors, grass
roots activists, and self-proclaimed political experts across the spectrum, the bald truth is that the New
York Republican Party is attempting to fly blindfolded through a political hurricane. In short, we have no
data as to what voters really think, or why, nor have we tested a range of alternative branding strategies
and messages against real voter opinion.
To get the data it needs to support a serious conversation about rebranding the party, State Committee
should invest in a statewide survey of voter opinion. We recognize that sophisticated survey will cost
upwards of $50,000, but consider this a very high priority threshold investment in the future of the state
party.
First Action: Issue RFP for survey
When: Aug-09
73. Host an annual “Solutions Conference”

Assuming that the statewide survey (above) supports the notion of positioning the New York State
Republican Party as a party of “performance” and “solutions,” we recommend that State Committee
host an annual “Solutions Conference” to bring together leading outside experts in government
administration and Republican local government leaders. The general goal would be to highlight and
syndicate the substantive knowledge, experience, and innovative ideas of our most successful local
leaders.
Mindful of the expense, we suggest that State Committee schedule the conference at a time that
coincides with or complements the annual conferences of other organizations, such as the Conference
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of Mayors or the Association of Counties. Moreover, it would not be unreasonable to seek outside
sponsorship and ask attendees to bear some of the expense.
As a practical matter, we recommend holding the first Solutions Conference in 2010.
First Action: Schedule 2010 Solutions Conference; draft agenda
Who: Staff
When: Nov-09
74. Create an online “Solutions Center”

To compliment the Solutions Conference idea, State Committee should create a webpage that briefly
describes, and provides links to, Republican-initiated local governmental solutions and innovations.
Although the natural focus would be to link to proceedings of the Solutions Conference, some
consideration should be given to linking to out-of-state resources.
First Action: Roll out prototype web page
Who: Staff or volunteer intern
When: Jan-10
75. Designate and publicize “Outstanding Local Leaders” on a monthly basis

To highlight our party’s strong association with local government, and to help increase the regional
profile of our rising stars, we recommend that State Committee designate one or more “Outstanding
Local Leaders” each month and promote their accomplishments via its website and through press
releases. We further recommend that State Committee regularly solicit county chairs for nominations.
First Action: Send first e-mail/letter to county chairs soliciting nominations
Who: State Chair
When: Jul-09
MANAGING AND DELIVERING THE MESSAGE
A perfectly calibrated modern message will achieve little in the absence of effective management and
delivery. And, as President Obama’s technology-savvy campaign demonstrated, message management
and delivery can themselves become a positive part of the message.
Without discounting the challenge, we believe that this general area offers a particularly rich set of
opportunities, in part because State Committee’s current capacity for managing and delivering message
is modest, and in part because recent years have seen dramatic advances in the development of
relatively inexpensive communications tools.
76. Coordinate “Weekly Message”

State Committee should take the lead in coordinating a weekly New York State Republican message.
The Weekly Message doesn’t have to be complex; it just has to be clear, concise, and consistent. Ideally,
the Weekly Message should provide a framework for all Republican state-level communications and
suffuse the “echo chamber” of blog and chat room commentary.
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All of this is much easier said than done. State Committee cannot hope to enforce message discipline on
hundreds of Republican elected officials and organizations; instead, it will have to earn credibility by
leveraging its clearinghouse role. As a first step, we suggest placing potential Weekly Messages high on
the agenda for the recommended regular meetings between State Committee and senior legislative
staff. If State Committee and the Republican conferences can agree, then others within the Republican
community will likely follow suit.
First Action: Begin Weekly Message program in conjunction with Republican legislative staff
When: Jun-09
77. Establish a Chair’s Blog with micro-blogging capability

Establishing a Chair’s Blog on the State Committee website is an obligatory entry point for engaging Web
2.0 technologies. As the Chair currently issues regular statements on current issues and developments,
the incremental effort to establish and maintain a blog will be minimal.
In addition, we urge State Committee to continue to experiment with micro-blogging on Twitter. There
will be occasions when State Committee (and/or Republican candidates) will benefit from the ability to
send short one-to-many email updates to activists or volunteers. To avoid setting unrealistic
expectations, however, we recommend a low-key effort to recruit “followers” incrementally over a
period of time by adding references to normal outbound communications.
First Action: First blog entry
Who: Chair
When: Jul-09
78. Coordinate communications planning with like-minded outside groups

Even in New York State, there are non-partisan policy and interest groups that share at least some
perspectives and priorities with the Republican Party. Unfortunately, when these groups issue reports
and policy statements, a lack of coordinated communications planning often truncates what otherwise
might have become a beneficial “echo chamber” effect.
Obviously, most policy groups are leery of appearing to act in an overtly partisan manner, and
appropriately so. Nonetheless, we feel that it is feasible for State Committee to work more closely with
these groups without jeopardizing their independence or nonprofit status.
Elsewhere we recommend that State Committee hire a Communications Director. We believe that part
of the Communications Director’s responsibilities should include establishing an informal network of
relationships with these organizations such that he or she could request and receive, at the very least,
copies of reports and statements at the same time they are distributed to the press. The
Communications Director would then have an opportunity to draft a timely response or, alternatively, to
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forward the material to an interested Republican official or organization for reaction, comment, or other
follow-up.
First Action: Request contemporaneous distribution of policy reports and statements
When: Sep-09
79. Develop a New York State Republican “tag line” message

As a modest contribution toward building a uniform brand identity, we suggest that State Committee
adopt and use a short “tag line” message or slogan in all its communications and encourage local
organizations to follow suit. The recommended statewide survey should include a test of alternatives.
First Action: Test alternatives as part of statewide strategic survey
Who: Polling strategist
When: Sep-09
80. Create an “Accountability Project” to track the opposition

Tracking the opposition’s performance is as essential to our competitive position as promoting our own
ideas and success. If we don’t hold the opposition accountable, how can we realistically expect the
media and voters to do so?
State Committee’s website already includes “Dem Watch,” a page with links to unflattering articles and
editorials about Democrats and Democratic policies. Although this is a good start, we recommend that
State Committee take a different and slightly more aggressive approach. Specifically, we recommend
creating an Accountability Project page that cultivates an “edgy” yet humorous style in highlighting the
foibles and failures of our most prominent opponents. For example, the page might track and
graphically illustrate the incumbent Governor’s unrealized promises using a web widget, post pictures of
Democratic leaders arriving at a public hearing on mass transit issues via private car, or sponsor a special
prize for that person who can deliver a photo of the Assembly Speaker actually showing up to work as
counsel to a private law firm. Given limited resources, we think State Committee should consider
inviting the collaboration of (screened) volunteer Republican activist-contributors, who no doubt would
be more than willing to help.
First Action: Reposition Dem Watch page; recruit volunteers
When: Aug-09
81. Create a Chair’s Policy Council to provide informal policy advice

At a time when there is no Republican statewide elected official, State Committee and the State Chair in
particular are often called upon to serve as a Republican spokesman on policy issues. At the same time,
given recent administration turnover, there is no lack of experienced former state- and national-level
Republican officials with a depth of policy expertise. Bringing these two factors together, we suggest
that the Chair create a Policy Council, an informal roster of experienced Republican policy experts who
would be willing to track issues and offer policy advice to State Committee on an ad hoc basis. Some
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members might be comfortable serving as a public spokesperson on an issue; others might prefer to
serve as background advisors. Either way, State Committee would be tapping into valuable resource
and building credibility on policy matters. Ultimately, a Research Director should help the Chairman
coordinate interaction with members of the Council.
First Action: Recruit members of a Policy Council
Who: State Chair
When: Jul-09
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EXPANDING THE NEW YORK REPUBLICAN PARTY
To paraphrase the “GOD: Grow or Die” thesis of innumerable airport-terminal business books, either the
New York Republican Party grows or it can look forward to a slow, agonizing slide into obscurity.
The recommendations below reflect our belief that expanding the Republican Party requires effort at
two levels. At one level, we subscribe to the view that party enrollment is critically important. More
registered Republicans means more voters who are “invested” in the party and the success of our
candidates. At another level, however, we urge that Republican Party to expand its vision of itself and
its organizational and political culture to become more inclusive and relevant to modern society.
ENROLLING MORE REPUB LICANS
The New York Republican Party has suffered a cataclysmic decline in enrollment. The share of New York
voters who were enrolled as Republicans declined from 30 percent at the end of 1996 to just 25 percent
as of April 2009, whereas the Democratic share increased from 47 percent to 50 percent.
The trend is ongoing. Although the number of enrolled voters in New York State increased just five
percent during the period from April 1, 2007 to April 1, 2009, Democratic enrollment increased by
545,967 voters while Republican enrollment declined by 58,485 voters. Over the last two years,
historically Republican counties Columbia, Dutchess, Franklin, Nassau, Orange, Rensselaer, and St.
Lawrence have all reported new Democratic majorities. Other long term Republican strongholds such
as Broome County (with the City of Binghamton) and Oneida are at a statistical tipping point and will
probably turn before the end of 2009.
Interestingly, the recent data do not support the easy hypothesis that voters are disaffiliating from the
Republican Party to become unaffiliated or “blank” voters. Between late 1996 and April 2009, the
unaffiliated share remained steady at 20 percent of registered voters. However, the Independence
Party tripled from one percent to three percent, and the Conservative Party lost roughly half of its
former two percent share. The Green, Working Families, and Libertarian Parties, which did not have an
automatic ballot line in 1996, together constitute less than one percent of enrolled voters. The bottom
line: the Democrats (and sympathetic organizations) have been executing aggressive registration
programs.
We’ll leave it to others to debate the root causes of the Republican registration collapse. Yes, shifting
demographics and recent enthusiasm for national Democratic candidates have played a role. But in the
end, the simple fact is that the Democrats have been playing to win while our demoralized Republican
Party organizations have failed to show up. We’ve stopped the basic, often boring work of registering
Republicans. Now it’s past time to get back in the game.
82. Include a customized “Register Republican” form with every outbound communication
Enrolling as a Republican should be easy, especially for those with whom we communicate on a regular
basis. Borrowing from the concept behind the 1993 Motor Voter Act, State Committee should include a
customized yet legally sufficient voter registration form in every outbound paper or digital
communication. The form can be a physical insert or an easy-to-use hyperlink to a downloadable
portable document file (.pdf) form on State Committee’s website. We strongly recommend against
simply providing a link to a Board of Elections website, as that would undermine the party’s immediate
connection with the new voter and prevent us from capturing his or her data (with permission, of
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course!). Although the form cannot force voters to register in a particular party, or deny their right to
enroll in another party, the law does allow some latitude for packaging the material in a partisan
wrapper.
We believe that State Committee staff or a volunteer lawyer should be able to research and draft an
appropriate registration form by the end of July 2009. We categorize the cost of execution as moderate
because State Committee may incur some incremental ongoing expenses associated with printing and
web page development.
First Action: Draft registration form insert
When: Jul-09
83. Send a welcome letter and registration form to every new business owner/licensee
We have learned that some Republican elected officials routinely communicate with new business
owners in their district. We applaud this initiative and think it may make sense for the county chairs to
adopt a similar outreach program in their respective counties.
Specifically, we recommend that State Committee draft a “welcome letter” that the county chairs could
adapt and send, along with a registration form, to new business owners on a regular basis. We are
informed that lists of new businesses are available at county clerks’ offices. In addition, State
Committee could help research the availability of new business licensee lists from the Department of
State, local consumer affairs agencies, and secondary commercial sources.
First Action: Draft welcome letter
Who: Staff
When: Sep-09
84. Distribute a multi-lingual "Welcome Package" at naturalization and related events

“New Americans,” defined as that portion of the population consisting of either naturalized citizens or
persons born in the United States since 1965 who have at least one immigrant parent,5 constitute a
growing and ever more significant share of the national and state electorate. In 2008, the New
American share of the electorate in New York State stood at 17.9 percent 6 and continues to grow.
Clearly, the New York State Republican Party has to adapt to this changing environment.
An obvious, but admittedly very modest, first step is to make some effort to connect with new citizens.
Democratic elected officials routinely welcome new naturalized citizens and/or attend naturalization
ceremonies. We urge State Committee to match this effort by working with local elected officials and
county organizations to make sure the Republican Party is represented at naturalization ceremonies.
Even if the enrollment yield is modest, “showing the flag” will help counter some negative perceptions.
5
“The New American Electorate: The Growing Power of Immigrants and Their Children,” The
Immigration Policy Center, October 2008. Produced by Rob Paral & Associates. Page 5.
6
Ibid, page 12.
Page 45
We recommend that State Committee develop a multi-lingual template “welcome package” with a
registration form for local elected officials and organizations to distribute at naturalization and related
events.
First Action: Draft "welcome package" template
Who: Staff
When: Aug-09
85. Send a multi-lingual welcome letter to all new naturalized citizens

Ideally, we would recommend that State Committee supplement the above efforts by sending a
“welcome letter” in several common languages with registration forms to all new naturalized citizens.
However, our initial research indicates that appropriate mailing lists may not be available at this time.
We are compelled to note that, if mailing lists do become available, the cost of sending welcome letters
would be relatively high, as the rate of naturalization for New York State has hovered around 90,000 per
year.7 At almost $0.25 a unit, not counting staff time or list acquisition, the annual cost for printing
production, fulfillment, processing and postage alone could exceed $21,000.
First Action: Research list availability
Who: Staff
When: Nov-09
86. Establish revenue-sharing program to incentivize local voter registration activities

During the tenure of former Chairman William Powers, State Committee credited the county
committees $1 for each verified net new enrolled Republican voter. This is still a good idea.
We rate the cost as medium, mostly out of naïve optimism. Recapturing our 1996 enrollment share of
30 percent (assuming a static voting population, which is not realistic) would mean enrolling 585,605
new Republicans. Having State Committee shell out $585,605 to our local county organizations over a
period of time would qualify as a welcome “high quality problem”.
First Action: Draft program details
Who: Staff
When: Aug-09
REINVIGORATING TRADITIONAL REPUBLICAN CONSTITUENCIES
Notwithstanding the importance of expanding the party over the long run, reinvigorating traditional
Republican constituencies is absolutely critical to our short- and mid-term competitiveness. The fact is
we are having trouble turning out our base, let alone reaching beyond it.
Our Roundtables and other outreach activities underscored two areas of concern with respect to the
traditional Republican base. First, it is clear that the traditional Republican connection with the state’s
business community has atrophied and almost disappeared. Second, unlike some of our sister state
7
http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statistics/publications/natz_fr_2008.pdf
Page 46
parties, we are not in any substantial way organized to reach out to and include voters who are active in
organized religion or faith-based community organizations.
87. Develop a [Republican] Small Business Agenda

New York’s business community was once a core Republican constituency, providing money, volunteers,
leadership, and candidates. Times have changed. As our Roundtables and other outreach confirmed,
today’s business community is highly fragmented and “big business” in particular is unable and/or
unwilling to engage in partisan activity at a state or local level. Instead, entities with multistate
operations and relatively deep pockets find it is more efficient, and less controversial, to hire a lobbyist
to secure what they need from Albany and other state capitals. The lobbyists, in turn, often counsel
playing both sides of the fence, undermining any perceived connections between partisanship and
policies that affect business. It is no coincidence that the de-politicization of the business community
and a steady erosion of business support for Republican organizations and candidates occurred over the
same period of time.
Although it may be too late to re-politicize big business in favor of the Republican Party --- this is, after
all, a national trend and problem --- we think it is not too late to reconnect to large segments of New
York’s small business community. Why? While the big players have the leverage to get what they need
from state and local government directly, small business owners in New York State have historically paid
a heavy price for lacking individual political clout. The Republican Party should and must be their voice.
As a basic first step, the Republican Party must define and market a compelling Small Business Agenda.
The good news is that we do not need to reinvent the policy wheel. The Republican legislative
conferences and outside groups (including the Democrats) have already developed a wide variety of
pro-business ideas and agendas. We believe it should be State Committee’s role to compile the best
ideas and crystallize then into a coherent, short, and specific policy agenda for the 2010 elections. For
example, the Agenda could include a list of 10 specific business-related policy commitments akin to the
1996 Contract with America.
First Action: Work with Republican legislative staff to draft a Small Business Agenda
Who: Staff
When: Dec-09
88. Leverage the Small Business Agenda

Having a Small Business Agenda will be meaningless unless we use it to build support, motivate political
action, and drive votes. To take it to the next level, we recommend that State Committee follow a
three-step process.
First, State Committee should coordinate a series of regional Business Roundtables to unveil, and
receive feedback on, the draft Agenda. The feedback will be valuable; besides, people always like to be
asked for their opinion. To leverage limited resources, we believe that local county committees and/or
elected officials should co-sponsor and preside over these sessions
Second, State Committee should ask business owners to sign on as public supporters of the Agenda.
This could be done at the Business Roundtables and/or through an online petition drive. Supporters
should be encouraged to ask whether their local Republican candidates support the Agenda.
Page 47
Third, State Committee should make sure to provide all Agenda supporters with regular updates and
feedback via e-mail. The more informed they are, the more motivated they will be to help.
First Action: Schedule Business Roundtables
When: Jan-10
89. Create “Thank You” web page for business supporters

As one small means of recognizing business owners who support the Republican Party, we recommend
that State Committee post a “Thank You” page on its web site that invites other members of the
Republican community to patronize supporting businesses. State Committee might also distribute this
information at its public and fundraising events. Even if these measures fail to generate substantial
additional sales, they will reflect well on the Republican Party’s commitment to the business community.
First Action: Upload “Thank You” webpage
Who: Volunteer intern
When: Aug-09
90. Designate volunteer liaisons to places of worship

Unlike some of its sister state party organizations, the New York State Republican Party does not have a
long history of extensive tactical coordination with faith-based organizations. We will leave it to others
to debate whether this has had a positive or negative impact on the party. Instead, we simply observe
that our party cannot ignore the fact that millions of New York State voters --- Democrats as well as
Republicans --- are involved in organized religion and faith-based organizations. If we are to become
competitive, we must find ways to engage New Yorkers who choose to participate in communities of
faith.
Ultimately, a good Coalitions and Inclusion Program (see related recommendation) will include specific
initiatives to address the wide range of faith-based organizations in New York State. Pending such a
program, however, we recommend a modest interim step. State Committee and the local committees
already have active members or volunteers who are also active in a place of worship. Why not recruit
some to serve as volunteer liaisons to the leadership of their place of worship? The duties of the liaison
might be simply to introduce their priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam to the local Republican Chair or elected
officials. A more ambitious version would see the liaison help fellow congregants secure assistance with
local government problems or complaints.
As a practical matter, we believe it would make sense to test the liaison concept in one or two
communities prior to rolling it out on a statewide basis.
First Action: Identify at least two county chairs willing to test the liaison concept
When: Jul-09
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BUILDING NEW REPUBLICAN CONSTITUENCIES: ORGANIZING FOR INCLUSION
Enrolling Republican voters who are predisposed to be Republicans, and reconnecting with communities
of voters who share a common interest, will be hard. Building new Republican constituencies will be
even harder. Yet, given the changing demographics of New York State, we can see no alternative.
There is no “silver bullet”. Meeting this challenge --- to the extent that a state party can meet it --- will
require a focused effort at every level, manifest in a series of tactical initiatives, some of which will
succeed while others will almost certainly fail. But this work should never end. For this reason, we urge
the Republican community to accept that it will be impossible to sustain any reasonable effort over the
long term without changing the internal culture of our party organizations.
Today’s Republican Party is too white, too male, and too unwelcoming to non native-born Americans.
While there is a limited amount that a single state party organization can do to address a challenge of
national scope, we believe that New York State’s historic role as an entry point for immigration and its
status as a world cultural, financial, and diplomatic center place a particular burden of leadership on the
New York Republican Party.
Two admittedly unorthodox presuppositions underlie our approach to this major challenge:
First, the traditional approach of segmenting specific demographic groups --- women, African-
Americans, Hispanics, etc. --- into institutionalized auxiliary or advisory groups has been a spectacular
failure. This check-the-box tactic is fundamentally patronizing and achieves little except to invite a tiny
group of self-interested individuals to market themselves as professional minority Republicans.
Second, to borrow from the lexicon of performance management, the traditional approach misguidedly
elevates “inputs” over “outcomes”. As a party, we have tended to focus on inputs in the form of various
“outreach” activities, instead of focusing on how and whether those inputs actually help achieve the
desired outcome of building a larger, more inclusive Republican Party. Experience shows that
“outreach” activities alone simply don’t work.
We therefore urge the New York State Republican to begin shifting from an “outreach model” to an
“inclusion model” of engagement with non-traditional constituencies. What does this mean? At its
core, it means that the party’s leadership has to be willing to share real power with non-traditional
constituencies and, even more important, it has to be willing to allow the party’s culture to evolve in
ways that reflect the influence of additional constituencies in leadership positions. Tomorrow’s
Republican Party will be, and should be, different from today’s party.
We appreciate that shifting to an inclusion model will be controversial and exceptionally difficult,
especially as some will see it as a zero-sum struggle for a share of what little power we currently enjoy.
91. Define and execute a Coalitions and Inclusion Plan

At the beginning of this Action Plan, we recommend hiring of a Director of Coalitions and Inclusion early
next year. The Director’s first order of business should be to develop a Coalitions and Inclusion Plan.
The Plan should incorporate a careful analysis of demographic and voting data to support setting
priorities and enumerate specific initiatives for including target constituencies in a broader “New York
Republican Coalition”. Target constituencies should include elements of the labor movement and
communities of faith as well as racial and ethnic minorities.
As part of his or her due diligence in drafting the Plan, the Director should immediately begin developing
an informal network of contacts through community-based meetings with civic, business, labor,
Page 49
religious, and political leaders in target communities. We expect that State Committee will incur a
medium level of expense due to travel.
First Action: Draft Coalitions and Inclusion Plan
Who: Director of Coalitions and Inclusion
When: Mar-10
92. Begin building a New York State Republican Business and Professional Coalition
We believe that the failure of past “outreach” efforts to build a lasting commitment to the Republican
Party in minority communities in part reflects the fact that we have rarely, if ever, articulated a
compelling “value proposition” for target minority voters --- business owners and professionals, for
instance --- to be involved in the Republican Party. In other words, we need to find ways to make it
relevant, gratifying, and valuable for these voters to become and remain active Republicans.
Accordingly, we urge State Committee and the Director of Coalitions and Inclusion to consider making
the development of a New York State Republican Business and Professional Coalition a centerpiece of
the forthcoming Coalitions Program. As we envision it, the Coalition would be an online, membership-
based network of Republican business people and professionals drawn largely from, but not limited to,
minority communities. The functional purpose of the Coalition would be to deliver value to its members
in the form of business referrals and contacts.
First Action: Include Business and Professional Coalition in Coalitions and Inclusion Plan
Who: Director of Coalitions and Inclusion
When: Mar-10
93. Amend by-laws to reflect orientation toward Inclusion

State Committee’s by-laws contain references to standing advisory committees on Business, Labor,
Faith-Based, Youth, Women, Minority Affairs, Law Enforcement, and Sportsmen. 8 These advisory
committees do not function.
We recommend stripping the by-laws of any reference to meaningless check-the-box advisory
committees and instead include language that commits State Committee to a robust Coalitions and
Inclusion Program.
When: Apr-10
94. Consider allowing non-enrolled (unaffiliated) voters to participate in Republican

primaries
No New York State Republican can hope to win an election without securing a significant share of
support from the 20 percent of voters who choose not to register in a political party. These voters ---
variously known as “non-enrolled,” “unaffiliated,” “blank,” or “independent” voters --- are by definition
8
Article VI, Rule 5.
Page 50
suspicious of partisanship and resistant to being treated or approached as a member of a defined
political group. Nonetheless, with the Democratic share of enrollment rising to 50 percent and
Republican enrollment slipping to just 25 percent in recent years, we believe that the New York
Republican Party has no choice but to seriously consider all options for reaching these voters.
One possible, and highly controversial, option is to amend the party’s rules to allow non-enrolled voters
to participate in Republican primaries. In truth, our Commission members are deeply divided on this
question. We therefore refer the idea for discussion and debate only.
Allowing unaffiliated voters to participate in primaries is not unprecedented. Different states have
different rules for primary participation. Some states including New York have "closed" primaries in
which only voters registered in a party may vote in that party's primary. A second group of states have
"open" primaries in which any registered voter can participate in any party's primary, regardless of party
affiliation. In a third group that includes California9 and Massachusetts, the parties have adopted “semi-
open” primary rules that allow non-affiliated voters to vote in their primaries. The U.S. Supreme Court
has specifically protected the right of state parties to establish semi-open primaries by party rule.10
Briefly, the arguments in favor of adopting a “semi-open” primary system are:
 Given current enrollment statistics, it is reasonable to conclude that most anyone in New York
State who would be inclined to support Democrats is already a registered Democrat. This and
election results over the past few decades support the view that many non-enrolled voters lean
Republican, but for a variety of personal, social, or cultural reasons are not willing to sign on the
dotted line.
 Since winning the support of non-enrolled voters is so critically important to success in
November, and so many of these voters lean Republican anyway, some of us doubt that
allowing them to participate in Republican primaries will distort Republican candidate selection
or leave us with less competitive nominees. Further, we would arguably enjoy the additional
advantage of knowing which unaffiliated voters to “pull” for the November elections.
 A gesture of inclusion could make all the difference in strengthening non-enrolled voters’
predisposition to support Republicans. Moreover, after being treated as welcome members of
the Republican coalition on a regular basis over a period of time, some non-enrolled voters will
inevitably begin to think of themselves, and behave, as such.
The arguments against a semi-open primary include:
 Semi-open primaries could make party membership functionally meaningless, diluting party
identity, cohesion, and purpose.
 In Massachusetts, non-affiliated voters constituted fully 60 percent of the Republican
Presidential Primary electorate in 2000, an exceptionally competitive year for Republicans.
Based on that example, some of us fear that unaffiliated voters could easily, and
inappropriately, dominate our important primaries in ways that we cannot anticipate.
9
In California, both the Democratic and Republican parties allowed unaffiliated participation in the
2002, 2004, and 2006. The California Republicans switched to a closed primary for the 2008 Presidential
Primary.
10
Tashjian v. Republican Party of Connecticut, 479 U.S. 208, 224 (1986)
Page 51
 As a matter of principle, it seems inappropriate to extend the privilege of participation in
primaries --- arguably the most important privilege of party membership --- to people who have
affirmatively rejected the idea of joining the party.
We appreciate that there are good arguments on both sides. In the end, we believe it will be healthy for
State Committee and the county chairs to engage this debate.
First Action: Draft by-law amendment as a catalyst for internal discussion and debate
When: Aug-09
95. Create a Spanish-language web resource page

As a small step in building a relationship with the Hispanic community, State Committee should create
and maintain a web page of Spanish-language resources.
First Action: Upload first Spanish-language page
Who: Staff, working with volunteer translators
When: Sep-09
96. Target at least one New York City Council seat with a significant Asian population as
part of the 2009 Citywide Campaign
To demonstrate our commitment to winning more support in immigrant communities generally, and the
incredibly diverse Asian community in particular, we recommend targeting at least one New York City
seat with a significant Asian population in the recommended 2009 Citywide Campaign.
First Action: Work with county chairs in New York City to identify seat and candidate
When: Jun-09
97. Recruit a volunteer corps of Republican translators

Native-language newspapers and other media outlets typically serve as the hub of cultural, commercial,
and civic discourse in their communities. We cannot hope to earn credibility, let alone support, in these
communities unless we find a way to participate in their “conversation” notwithstanding language
barriers.
We recommend that State Committee make it a priority to recruit volunteers from various communities
who are willing to help translate press releases and other material on an ad hoc basis. We recognize
that recruiting and overseeing volunteer translators will be a never-ending task. Therefore, in the
interests of sustainability, we recommend starting with a handful of volunteers/languages and a very
modest “caseload”.
First Action: Recruit first volunteer translator
When: Jul-09
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98. Diversify the State Committee membership
As a matter of practical politics, not to mention principle, State Committee should welcome an
institutional culture of inclusion and diversity. This means it makes sense to recruit local party leaders
such as State Committee members who broadly reflect the communities they serve.
To make it clear that inclusion is a core Republican value, we recommend adding language to State
Committee’s by-laws to emphasize the desirability of recruiting a diverse membership. There is
precedent for “affirmative action” within the Republican Party. For instance, notwithstanding the
party’s longstanding opposition to quotas, State Committee’s current by-laws specify that its members
shall include equal numbers of men and women.11
When: Aug-09
Cost: N/A
99. Establish a College Republican chapter at every college and university in New York State
College Republican organizations have historically played an important role in providing volunteers and
building future Republican leadership. We need more of them. State Committee and the New York
College Republican State Committee should make it a priority to have a functioning chapter at every
New York State college and university.
A first step would be for the New York College Republican State Committee to perform a “gap analysis”
to indentify campuses that do not have a College Republican Chapter. The next step --- identifying
potential leaders and providing logistical support to establish chapters --- will involve moderate expense.
First Action: Perform a gap analysis
Who: College Republican State Committee
When: Dec-09
100. Encourage each county committee to establish an active youth pro gram
We debriefed a number of younger Republican activists who expressed frustration with their role within
the youth-oriented components of the party structure, which currently include College Republican and
Young Republican organizations across the state. Because the former Teenage Republicans no longer
function in New York, and the Young Republicans typically include slightly older activists with an interest
in business and professional networking, “younger” Republicans often feel they have no place to go.
To fill the gap, State Committee should encourage each county to organize a youth program. To help,
State Committee should develop a Youth Program Guide with activity and program ideas. The Guide
should reflect young people’s stated desires for “fun” social events and, most important, the experience
of leadership with respect to specific, relatively short, community and/or political projects.
First Action: Draft Youth Program Guide
Who: Staff
When: Dec-09
11
Article 1, Rule 1, Paragraph C.
Page 53
APPENDIX
TABLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS BY FIRST ACTION TARGET DATE
First Action Relative Cost of Full

Recommendation Target Date Implementation
3 Review the Regional Vice Chair system June-09 N/A
4 Create a By-laws Committee June-09 N/A
20 Hire an experienced, professional in-house
Finance Director June-09 H
26 Appoint a State Finance Chair June-09 N/A
29 Raise "seed money" to implement this Action
Plan June-09 L
32 Hold regional State Committee fundraising
events June-09 N/A
43 Encourage all New York Republican
organizations to use the same logo and related
graphics June-09 N/A
45 Establish weekly tactical meetings and/or
conference calls between State Committee
staff and staff of the Senate and Assembly
campaign committees
June-09 N/A
46 Invite the Senate Campaign Committee to
locate at 315 State Street June-09 N/A
53 Provide ongoing Voter Vault training June-09 L
54 Market the New York State Republican
Lawyers Association June-09 N/A
58 Develop and Distribute a County Chairs'
Manual June-09 N/A
64 Establish a fair, open, and early screening
process for 2010 statewide candidates June-09 N/A
68 Encourage all first-time candidates benefitting
from State Committee’s services and programs
to attend, or have a staff member attend, a
campaign workshop
June-09 N/A
76 Coordinate "Weekly Message" June-09 N/A
96 Target at least one New York City Council seat
with a significant Asian population as part of
the 2009 Citywide Campaign June-09 N/A
1 Prepare audited financial statements July-09 M
12 Webcast State Committee and Executive
Committee meetings July-09 M
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14 Upgrade State Committee's network
infrastructure July-09 H
17 Develop a Data Management Strategy July-09 M
27 Recruit a State Finance Committee July-09 N/A
31 Accept contributions vi PayPal, Google
Checkout, ACH Debit July-09 L
36 Mandate county chairs' use of e-mail for State
Committee business July-09 N/A
37 Assign e-mail addresses to county leaders July-09 L
47 Use RACC and SRCC campaign operatives for
Victory 2009 campaign July-09 M
52 Facilitate regional campaign training and
campaign workshops July-09 L
60 Inventory Republicans holding New York State
elective offices July-09 N/A
61 Create and execute a Victory 2009 Campaign July-09 M
75 Designate and publicize "Outstanding Local
Leaders" on a monthly basis July-09 N/A
77 Establish a Chair's Blog with micro-blogging
capability July-09 L
81 Create a Chair's Policy Council to provide
informal policy advice July-09 N/A
82 Include a customized “Register Republican”
form with every outbound communication July-09 M
90 Designate volunteer liaisons to places of
worship July-09 N/A
97 Recruit a volunteer corps of Republican
translators July-09 L
5 Perform an Environmental Review of State
Committee August-09 L
6 Bar concurrent service as a county and State
Chair August-09 N/A
7 Bar registered lobbyists, elected officials, and
those serving in appointive office with
compensation from serving as State Chair August-09 N/A
8 Institute four term (8-year) limit for State Chair
August-09 N/A
10 Provide 30-day notice (mail or electronic) for
all non-emergency meetings of the State
Committee or Executive Committee August-09 N/A
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13 Amend by-laws to permit internal voting via
webcast or similar communications technology
August-09 N/A
15 Modernize State Committee's telephone
system August-09 M to H
16 Design and implement a computer-assisted
telephone bank at 315 State Street August-09 M
18 Inventory county committees' data assets August-09 L
22 Hire a Communications Director August-09 H
28 Develop and implement a Finance Plan August-09 N/A
30 Institute county committee dues August-09 N/A
38 Build a comprehensive database of e-mail
addresses for Republican leaders and activists
August-09 H
39 Create an online New York State Republican
Community August-09 L
40 Recruit an online Republican Volunteer Army August-09 L
49 Create an online "Victory Center" with
campaign-related tools and services August-09 M to H
51 Establish online Vendor Resources Guide August-09 N/A
55 Establish a New York State Republican
Speakers' Bureau August-09 L
57 Create a "Policy Resources" page on the State
Committee website August-09 L
62 Facilitate a citywide Republican New York City
Council Campaign August-09 L
65 Mandate an open screening process for
nominations to state or federal office August-09 N/A
80 Create an "Accountability Project" to track the
opposition August-09 L
84 Distribute a multi-lingual "Welcome Package"
at naturalization and related events August-09 L
86 Establish revenue-sharing program to
incentivize local voter registration activities August-09 M
89 Create "Thank You" web page for business
supporters August-09 L
94 Consider allowing non-enrolled (unaffiliated)
voters to participate in Republican primaries
August-09 N/A
98 Diversity the State Committee members August-09 N/A
19 Encourage data cooperation to strengthen September-
State Committee's local support programs 09 N/A
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23 Hire a Digital Communications Coordinator September-
09 M
33 Create an online "Victory List" to connect September-
donors to priority local races 09 L
34 Host and coordinate bi-weekly "Policy September-
Briefing" teleconferences 09 L
42 Send a "Welcome Package" to newly- September-
registered Republicans 09 L
56 Make a skills workshop session a part of every September-
State Committee-sponsored event 09 L
59 Update the Guide for County Committee
members and include State Committee September-
members 09 L
69 Have our local "stars" carry the Republican September-
message 09 N/A
78 Coordinate communications planning with September-
like-minded outside groups 09 N/A
79 Develop a New York State Republican "tag September-
line" message 09 N/A
83 Send a welcome letter and registration form to September-
every new business owner/licensee 09 N/A
95 Create a Spanish-language web resource page September-
09 L
67 Create a Bulk Mail Coordinating Council October-09 N/A
2 Establish an annual budget process overseen
by a Budget and Administration Committee November-09 N/A
9 Extend terms for county committee member,
district leader, and state committee member
from two four years November-09 N/A
11 Hold half of State Committee and Executive
Committee meetings in regional venues November-09 L
41 Expand and reposition the online Action
Center November-09 M
48 Provide communications internship
opportunities November-09 N/A
73 Host an annual "Solutions Conference" November-09 M to H
85 Send a multi-lingual welcome letter to all new
naturalized citizens November-09 H
63 Encourage Republican volunteer community
service programs December-09 L
87 Develop a [Republican] Small Business Agenda
December-09 N/A
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99 Establish a College Republican chapter at every
college and university in New York State
December-09 L
100 Encourage each county committee to establish
an active youth program December-09 N/A
44 Reestablish principals-only meetings and/or
conference calls between the State Chair and
the Republican legislative leaders January-10 N/A
50 Build a basic digital video studio at
Headquarters January-10 M
74 Create an online "Solutions Center" January-10 L
88 Leverage the Small Business Agenda January-10 M
21 Hire a Political Director February-10 H
25 Hire a Director of Coalitions and Inclusion February-10 H
66 Facilitate county committees' access to
demographic and polling data March-10 N/A
71 Encourage local committees to field
Republican candidates in every local election March-10 N/A
91 Define and execute a Coalitions and Inclusion
Plan March-10 M
92 Begin building a New York State Republican
Business and Professional Coalition March-10 M
93 Amend by-laws to reflect orientation toward
inclusion April-10 N/A
24 Hire a Research Director June-10 M
70 Create a mentor program to connect
inexperienced candidates with seasoned
officeholders June-10 N/A
72 Conduct a baseline statewide strategic survey
August-10 H
35 Encourage more and regular
meetings/interactions among county chairs N/A
Page 58
TABLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS BY RELATIVE COST
First Action Relative Cost of Full

Recommendation Target Date Implementation
3 Review the Regional Vice Chair system June-09 N/A
4 Create a By-laws Committee June-09 N/A
26 Appoint a State Finance Chair June-09 N/A
32 Hold regional State Committee fundraising
events June-09 N/A
43 Encourage all New York Republican
organizations to use the same logo and related
graphics June-09 N/A
45 Establish weekly tactical meetings and/or
conference calls between State Committee
staff and staff of the Senate and Assembly
campaign committees
June-09 N/A
46 Invite the Senate Campaign Committee to
locate at 315 State Street June-09 N/A
54 Market the New York State Republican
Lawyers Association June-09 N/A
58 Develop and Distribute a County Chairs'
Manual June-09 N/A
64 Establish a fair, open, and early screening
process for 2010 statewide candidates June-09 N/A
68 Encourage all first-time candidates benefitting
from State Committee’s services and programs
to attend, or have a staff member attend, a
campaign workshop
June-09 N/A
76 Coordinate "Weekly Message" June-09 N/A
96 Target at least one New York City Council seat
with a significant Asian population as part of
the 2009 Citywide Campaign June-09 N/A
27 Recruit a State Finance Committee July-09 N/A
36 Mandate county chairs' use of e-mail for State
Committee business July-09 N/A
60 Inventory Republicans holding New York State
elective offices July-09 N/A
75 Designate and publicize "Outstanding Local
Leaders" on a monthly basis July-09 N/A
81 Create a Chair's Policy Council to provide
informal policy advice July-09 N/A
Page 59
90 Designate volunteer liaisons to places of
worship July-09 N/A
6 Bar concurrent service as a county and State
Chair August-09 N/A
7 Bar registered lobbyists, elected officials, and
those serving in appointive office with
compensation from serving as State Chair August-09 N/A
8 Institute four term (8-year) limit for State Chair
August-09 N/A
10 Provide 30-day notice (mail or electronic) for
all non-emergency meetings of the State
Committee or Executive Committee August-09 N/A
13 Amend by-laws to permit internal voting via
webcast or similar communications technology
August-09 N/A
28 Develop and implement a Finance Plan August-09 N/A
30 Institute county committee dues August-09 N/A
51 Establish online Vendor Resources Guide August-09 N/A
65 Mandate an open screening process for
nominations to state or federal office August-09 N/A
94 Consider allowing non-enrolled (unaffiliated)
voters to participate in Republican primaries
August-09 N/A
98 Diversity the State Committee members August-09 N/A
19 Encourage data cooperation to strengthen September-
State Committee's local support programs 09 N/A
69 Have our local "stars" carry the Republican September-
message 09 N/A
78 Coordinate communications planning with September-
like-minded outside groups 09 N/A
79 Develop a New York State Republican "tag September-
line" message 09 N/A
83 Send a welcome letter and registration form to September-
every new business owner/licensee 09 N/A
67 Create a Bulk Mail Coordinating Council October-09 N/A
2 Establish an annual budget process overseen
by a Budget and Administration Committee November-09 N/A
9 Extend terms for county committee member,
district leader, and state committee member
from two four years November-09 N/A
48 Provide communications internship
opportunities November-09 N/A
Page 60
87 Develop a [Republican] Small Business Agenda
December-09 N/A
100 Encourage each county committee to establish
an active youth program December-09 N/A
44 Reestablish principals-only meetings and/or
conference calls between the State Chair and
the Republican legislative leaders January-10 N/A
66 Facilitate county committees' access to
demographic and polling data March-10 N/A
71 Encourage local committees to field
Republican candidates in every local election March-10 N/A
93 Amend by-laws to reflect orientation toward
inclusion April-10 N/A
70 Create a mentor program to connect
inexperienced candidates with seasoned
officeholders June-10 N/A
35 Encourage more and regular
meetings/interactions among county chairs N/A
29 Raise "seed money" to implement this Action
Plan June-09 L
53 Provide ongoing Voter Vault training June-09 L
31 Accept contributions vi PayPal, Google
Checkout, ACH Debit July-09 L
37 Assign e-mail addresses to county leaders July-09 L
52 Facilitate regional campaign training and
campaign workshops July-09 L
77 Establish a Chair's Blog with micro-blogging
capability July-09 L
97 Recruit a volunteer corps of Republican
translators July-09 L
5 Perform an Environmental Review of State
Committee August-09 L
18 Inventory county committees' data assets August-09 L
39 Create an online New York State Republican
Community August-09 L
40 Recruit an online Republican Volunteer Army August-09 L
55 Establish a New York State Republican
Speakers' Bureau August-09 L
57 Create a "Policy Resources" page on the State
Committee website August-09 L
62 Facilitate a citywide Republican New York City
Council Campaign August-09 L
Page 61
80 Create an "Accountability Project" to track the
opposition August-09 L
84 Distribute a multi-lingual "Welcome Package"
at naturalization and related events August-09 L
89 Create "Thank You" web page for business
supporters August-09 L
33 Create an online "Victory List" to connect September-
donors to priority local races 09 L
34 Host and coordinate bi-weekly "Policy Briefing" September-
teleconferences 09 L
42 Send a "Welcome Package" to newly- September-
registered Republicans 09 L
56 Make a skills workshop session a part of every September-
State Committee-sponsored event 09 L
59 Update the Guide for County Committee
members and include State Committee September-
members 09 L
95 Create a Spanish-language web resource page September-
09 L
11 Hold half of State Committee and Executive
Committee meetings in regional venues November-09 L
63 Encourage Republican volunteer community
service programs December-09 L
99 Establish a College Republican chapter at every
college and university in New York State
December-09 L
74 Create an online "Solutions Center" January-10 L
1 Prepare audited financial statements July-09 M
12 Webcast State Committee and Executive
Committee meetings July-09 M
17 Develop a Data Management Strategy July-09 M
47 Use RACC and SRCC campaign operatives for
Victory 2009 campaign July-09 M
61 Create and execute a Victory 2009 Campaign July-09 M
82 Include a customized “Register Republican”
form with every outbound communication July-09 M
16 Design and implement a computer-assisted
telephone bank at 315 State Street August-09 M
86 Establish revenue-sharing program to
incentivize local voter registration activities August-09 M
23 Hire a Digital Communications Coordinator September-
09 M
Page 62
41 Expand and reposition the online Action
Center November-09 M
50 Build a basic digital video studio at
Headquarters January-10 M
88 Leverage the Small Business Agenda January-10 M
91 Define and execute a Coalitions and Inclusion
Plan March-10 M
92 Begin building a New York State Republican
Business and Professional Coalition March-10 M
24 Hire a Research Director June-10 M
15 Modernize State Committee's telephone
system August-09 M to H
49 Create an online "Victory Center" with
campaign-related tools and services August-09 M to H
73 Host an annual "Solutions Conference" November-09 M to H
20 Hire an experienced, professional in-house
Finance Director June-09 H
14 Upgrade State Committee's network
infrastructure July-09 H
22 Hire a Communications Director August-09 H
38 Build a comprehensive database of e-mail
addresses for Republican leaders and activists
August-09 H
85 Send a multi-lingual welcome letter to all new
naturalized citizens November-09 H
21 Hire a Political Director February-10 H
25 Hire a Director of Coalitions and Inclusion February-10 H
72 Conduct a baseline statewide strategic survey
August-10 H
Page 63
COMMISSION MEMBERS
Michael Allegretti, Kings County Lynn Krogh, Queens County

Thomas J. Basile, Rockland County Nick Langworthy, Erie County
Anthony J. Casale, Otsego County Gary Lavine, Onondaga County
Christopher Nixon Cox, New York County Rebecca Marino, Rensselaer County
Thomas E. L. Dewey, New York County Ray Martinez, Nassau County
Harold E. Doley III, New York County M. Myers Mermel, New York County
Jack Doyle, Monroe County Patrick Murphy, New York County
Christopher Dziedzic, Broome County Ron Robbins, Jefferson County
J. C. Polanco, Bronx County Charles Urstadt, New York County
Lolita Jackson, New York County
Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff, New York County, Chair
Matthew Walter, Saratoga County, Executive Director Ex Officio
LIST OF REGIONAL ROUNDTABLES
Buffalo, January 12 Geneseo, February 19

New York City, February 2 Westbury, February 26
Syracuse, February 10 Plattsburgh, March 6
Watertown, February 10 Blauvelt, April 17
Binghamton, February 11 Albany, May 21
Page 64

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New York Republican State Committee

Letter to the Chairman ............................................................................................................................ 3

New York Republican Strategic Planning Commission

Dear Chairman Mondello:

MODERNIZING STATE COMMITTEE’S ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT

1. Prepare audited financial statements

2. Establish an annual budget process overseen by a Budget and Administration Committee

3. Review the Regional Vice Chair system

4. Create a By-Laws Committee

QUALIFICATIONS AND CONFLICTS

6. Bar concurrent service as a county and State Chair

12. Webcast State Committee and Executive Committee meetings

14. Upgrade State Committee’s network and systems infrastructure

15. Modernize State Committee’s telephone system

17. Develop a Data Management Strategy

18. Inventory county committees' data assets

20. Hire an experienced, professional in-house Finance Director

21. Hire a Political Director

23. Hire a Digital Communications Coordinator

24. Hire a Research Director

25. Hire a Director of Coalitions and Inclusion

26. Appoint a State Finance Chair

27. Recruit a State Finance Committee

28. Develop and implement a Finance Plan

30. Institute county committee dues

BUILDING A STRONGER COMMUNITY

A political party is comparable to a community: a “community of interest” comprised of individuals and

34. Host and coordinate bi-weekly “Policy Briefing" teleconferences

35. Encourage more regular meetings/interaction among county chairs

37. Assign e-mail addresses to county chairs

39. Create an online New York State Republican Community

40. Recruit an online Republican Volunteer Army

42. Send a “Welcome Package” to newly-registered Republicans

48. Provide communications internship opportunities

In a previous section, we offered recommendations for strengthening the state-level Republican

PROVIDING USEFUL TOO LS AND SERVICES

What is the appropriate role of a state-level political party organization?

50. Build a basic digital video studio at Headquarters

51. Establish online Vendor Resources Guide

First Action: Draft Vendor Resources Guide

52. Facilitate regional candidate training and campaign works hops

53. Provide ongoing Voter Vault training

54. Market the New York State Republican Lawyers Association

55. Establish a New York State Republican Speakers’ Bureau

57. Create a “Policy Resources” page on the State Committee website

58. Develop and distribute a County Chairs’ Manual

60. Inventory Republicans holding New York State elective offices

First Action: Distribute questionnaire to county chairs

PUTTING POINTS ON THE BOARD

61. Create and execute a Victory 2009 Campaign

62. Facilitate a citywide Republican New York City Council Campaign

First Action: Schedule a citywide Republican City Council fundraiser

63. Encourage Republican volunteer community service programs

First Action: Draft Community Service Guide

RATIONALIZING THE PROCESS

First Action: Draft by-law amendment

66. Facilitate county committees’ access to demographic and polling data

67. Create a Bulk Mail Coordinating Council

69. Have our local “stars” carry the Republican message

MODERNIZING THE MESSAGE

72. Conduct a baseline statewide strategic survey

73. Host an annual “Solutions Conference”

74. Create an online “Solutions Center”

75. Designate and publicize “Outstanding Local Leaders” on a monthly basis