Battered NY GOP members turn ire on party boss with ousted Rep. Mike Lawler floated as replacement

Battered New York Republicans are calling to oust the longtime state party boss in the aftermath of Democrats’ Election Day romp — with some suggesting an outgoing congressman could be the new man for the job.State Party Chairman Ed Cox is facing growing heat after Tuesday’s blue wave swept through the Empire State as Rep.Mike Lawler’s name is being floated to take the reins of the party just days after losing his own reelection bid.“I think a lot of people really want Ed Cox’s head,” one New York GOP insider told The Post Thursday, two days after Democrats shellacked Republicans statewide during Tuesday’s election.“People have been complaining about Ed Cox for a while now,” said another.

“There’s already movement behind the scenes with the conservatives to get rid of him.”Cox, 80, has led New York Republicans for most of the last 20 years, a tenure which has seen Democrats dominate and few GOP returns — a situation reinforced Tuesday when Gov.Kathy Hochul crushed GOP challenger Bruce Blakeman by 20 percentage points, far behind the 6-point margin Lee Zeldin earned in 2002.And calls for Cox’s head weren’t all just rumor and rumbling — one of Tuesday’s only Republican winners, District 21’s Anthony Constantino, demanded his removal outright just hours after being elected.“I am with the people and insist we rebuild the Party.

Fire Ed Cox!” Constantino wrote in a 3 a.m.X post Wednesday, also calling the state Republican establishment “a group of scammers.”“In NYS, the Republican Party is mostly a Con Job that helps Democrats win,” Constantino said.Outgoing Rep.

Elise Stefanik — viewed as a challenger of Gov.Kathy Hochul until President Trump declined to endorse her in 2025 — even hinted at a growing Cox coup, saying Wednesday the state party “needs to be built from scratch” and needs “significant change in structure and leadership.”Calls for Cox’s ouster follow years of frustration among New York Repub...