By Madina Toure
Former U.S. Rep. Bob Turner is expected to be named the new chairman of the Queens Republican Party, according to a spokesman for the state Republican Committee.
Roughly two-thirds of state committee members in Queens sent a letter dated Feb. 11 to state committee Chairman Ed Cox asking him to recognize Turner as the new chairman of the Queens GOP, said the spokesman said, who asked not to be identified.
Turner, 73, attended Richmond Hill HS and St. John’s University. He served in the U.S. Army in the 1960s and worked as a media executive before he won a special election to fill the seat of former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, who represented parts of Brooklyn and Queens, in 2011 — a position he held until 2013 when the seat was eliminated by redistricting.
Cox was scheduled to meet with the state committee members this Thursday and based on the results of the meeting, they were planning a rally at the American Legion Hall, Post 1424 at 107-15 Metropolitan Ave. in Forest Hills at 7 p.m. to announce the outcome.
“Ed is going to meet with them on Thursday and pending that meeting, we expect Bob Turner to be the unified leader of the Queens GOP,” he said.
Although he could not speak to whether other individuals were considered for the chairman position, the spokesman said committee members expressed concerns about divisions within the party.
“The letter was fairly straightforward,” he said. “They essentially said, ‘We’re a majority and we want to put the infighting of the last couple of decades behind us.’”
Bart Haggerty, 28th Assembly district leader and a Queens GOP member, who was among the letter’s signatories, said the letter represented a “historic moment” that indicates that the “so-called war is over.”
The Haggerty faction, including City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) and former Councilman Tom Ognibene, have challenged the Queens party’s leadership for years. Turner is allied with the Haggerty group.
“It’s the first time in certainly, I’d say, in 15 years that you have this level of agreement in terms of numbers where an overwhelming number of the district leaders have come together to agree on leadership,” Haggerty said.
There has been an ongoing battle over the chairmanship of the party.
During a reorganization meeting in 2013, the camp of the late Phil Ragusa claimed he had won re-election as chairman. But Turner’s supporters said the vote was held with insufficient notice and riddled with procedural issues.
The certificates of neither Ragusa nor Turner were disqualified, therefore making both valid under the law. But Ragusa remained in office as the chairman of the Queens party until his death in June.
Robert Beltrani, the executive vice chairman, automatically assumed the leadership post after Ragusa died. Both he and Turner claimed the chairmanship of the party, according to the Feb. 11 letter from the committee members. The city and state Boards of Election have not taken a position on the matter, only saying they have on file a certificate from both Beltrani and Turner, the letter said.
Ragusa’s vice chairman, Vince Tabone, and Republican Councilman Dan Halloran were both convicted of bribery in recent months in a blow to the party.
The situation has been at a standstill over the last 18 months as the next reorganization will occur in September. The party has no money, headquarters, regular meetings, organization or direction, the committee members said.
Members commended Beltrani’s service but credited Turner for his track record in winning elections and fund-raising, saying “his integrity is beyond reproach.”
“Parties exist in order to run candidates and elect candidates and Turner has a proven track record of winning a competitive election and was able to raise the necessary funds in order to be competitive,” Haggerty said.
Turner hopes to tackle issues such as voter registration, outreach and candidate selection.
“I’m coming into it as fairly fresh face,” Turner said. in an interview. “I am not tainted with past feuds the party has endured and I hope I can be trusted by different groups within the Queens party.”
Beltrani could not be reached for comment.
Check the web for an update on the rally.
Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtour
