The New York State Conservative Party
The Conservative Party's History of Standing Up for New Yorkers
The New York State Conservative Party was a leader of the revival of the Conservative movement in the United State and, more importantly, New York State in the 1960s.
The Conservative Party was founded in 1962. Its founders, J. Daniel Mahoney, Kieran O'Doherty, Charles Rice, Raymond Walker and Charles Edison were disturbed with the liberal direction of both the Democratic and Republican parties, particularly after the Republican loss in the 1960 presidential election. Its founders sought to provide voters with a meaningful conservative alternative to counter the influence of the Liberal Party.
The party was initially organized as the New York State Conservative Political Association, Inc., which served as a foundation for the new political movement. By April 1962, state headquarters had opened, and the party began building its base through local party clubs, which became its main political resource. By 1963, there was a county chairman for each of New York's 62 counties, and by 1964, county committees were formally elected.
The Conservative Party rapidly became a force in New York State politics.
- 1965: The party ran William F. Buckley Jr. for New York City mayor and Rosemary Gunning for City Council president, signaling its willingness to field its own candidates when major party nominees did not align with its principles.
- 1970: James L. Buckley, brother of William F. Buckley Jr., was elected to the U.S. Senate solely on the Conservative Party line-a unique achievement for a minor party in New York. This victory gave the party national prominence.
- 1994: The party played a pivotal role in electing Republican George Pataki as governor, providing crucial votes that contributed to his victory.
- 2009: Doug Hoffman, running only on the Conservative line in the 23rd Congressional District, garnered nearly 46% of the vote, the highest for a minor party in a U.S. House race since 1949, and energized grassroots conservative activism.
- 2010s: The party consistently secured "Row C" on New York ballots, reflecting its position as the third-largest party in the state by vote totals in gubernatorial elections.
- 2022: Congressman Lee Zeldin received the most votes for Governor by a Republican/Conservative Candidate in 2022 narrowly losing to Governor Kathy Hochul.
- 2024: President Donald J. Trump received 321,733 votes on the Conservative Party line. That’s twice as many votes as there are registered Conservatives!
Our Party enrollment continues to grow, reaching 160,125 members in 2025. Over the past year alone, nearly 6,000 new voters have joined our ranks.
But our strength still lies in the people who vote Conservative because they have the courage to do what’s right.
