About Us
HISTORY
The Whitestone Republican Club was founded in 2008 by local Republican Party activists working with the then new Queens GOP leadership chaired by Whitestone resident and 26th Assembly Republican District Leader Phil Ragusa. After a number of highly active and successful years, Republican activity in the district slowly diminished — until 2018 when Vickie Paladino ran a very energized campaign for State Senate against John Liu, after decisively winning the Republican primary.
Upon the conclusion of her campaign, Paladino committed to reinvigorating the Whitestone Republican Club so that there would be an active Republican organization in northeast Queens to help support future candidates for office and to fight for the community and defend the way of live we have built over the last 30 years.
The rejuvenated Whitestone Republican Club held its first meeting in December of 2018, where that years’ elections were recapped and a lively discussion was held concerning the disastrous showing by Republicans in New York State that led to the Democratic takeover of the State Senate, resulting in NY being entirely controlled by the radical left.
The Club kicked off 2019 with WABC radio host and Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa at the January meeting. It was another very successful night and set the tone for 2019 where the monthly meetings continued to bring in exciting speakers such as Manhattan Institute fellow Nicole Gelinas, “Mr. Producer” for the Mark Levin radio show Rich Valdes, and many other notable conservative personalities and intellectuals to address a packed house month after month .
The Club began 2020 on an equally high note hosting such notable speakers as former NYC Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik, Blue Lives Matter founder Joseph Imperatrice, and Putnam County District Attorney Robert Tendy. Corona virus suspended club meetings temporarily for a few months but Club activities began to resume over the summer with a Backyard BBQ style meeting in June with many past speakers to the Club visiting and sharing their take on current events, once again drawing huge crowds.
The Club is looking forward to doing its part to re-elect President Trump and the Republican Senate, and then to becoming very involved in the 2021 City elections for mayor and city council amid historic increases in local crime and declining quality of life.
OUR MISSION
To build the Republican Party in northeast Queens based on shared principles and values that bind Republicans together and with the larger community. To recruit and support good candidates for public and party office, and to build the Party organization to enable those candidates to be successful. Finally, to make sure that the voters know what we and our candidates stand for, presenting them with an agenda to vote for that resonates throughout the community, and make sure to get our Whigs to the polls.
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES
While we do understand that governing majorities come from building strong coalitions under a broad tent, we as a Club support and will promote basic Republican values and principles, including:
- America is the greatest country in the history of the world.
- The three pillars of our system – Individual Rights, Free-Markets and the Rule of Law – have made for an imperfect system of governance but yet the best system ever attempted by man.
- The Constitution is just as relevant and forward-looking as it was when the country was founded.
Government should be limited in its power, small and responsive to the needs of the governed, and the people elected to run it should serve the people, not the other way around. - The family and then the community are the most valuable building blocks of any free society and must be defended and protected.
- An independent middle class must be preserved as the foundation of our republic, and the government should act to protect the interests of American workers through favorable trade and regulatory policy. We oppose efforts to harm the middle class with burdensome taxes, trade, and housing policy.
- Government should tax responsibly and as little as possible and only to deliver the basic services that are required to sustain the community.
Government programs should always be designed to empower individuals, so they can achieve the self-sufficiency required for maximum self-worth. - Education should put the needs of the children first and foremost, and parents should be empowered to choose the best education for their child.
- The rule of law must reign supreme in a democratic society and anyone violating the law must be held properly accountable for their actions.
- Our law enforcement professionals are the guardians of the rule of law and must be supported with proper funding and training to ensure they are able to perform their duties in the most professional way possible.
- We stand against “social justice” dogma, progressive intersectionality, and censorship in all its forms.