Kingston Republicans have a new leader who will take on the task of reviving the party’s flagging fortunes in an increasingly Democrat-dominated city.
On Jan. 7, active members of the Kingston Republican Committee voted to appoint John P. Quigley their new committee chair. Quigley will replace former chair Chuck Polacco. City Republicans, who a decade ago held three seats on the Common Council, have seen their electoral prospects dim in recent years, fueled by declining membership coupled with a steady increase in Democratic Party enrollment. Currently no Republican holds elective office in the city, or in any of the Kingston’s three county legislative districts.
In a statement, Quigley said that he hoped to reverse the decline by introducing new blood and new ideas. Quigley, the son of Town of Ulster Supervisor James Quigley III, added that he wanted to position the committee as a balance to the power of Kingston Democrats and combat the “stagnation” that often accompanies one-party rule.
Quigley said he plans to fill committee seats and identify community activists and neighborhood issues in advance of a March 24 public event to introduce new strategies.