Apple of their eye: A Trump and Stefanik ticket has GOP in a New York state of mind
By
Haisten Willis
February 15, 2024 6:00 am
Voters are staring down a once-unthinkable possibility in this year’s presidential election: two New Yorkers topping the Republican ticket.
Former President Donald Trump appears to be running away with the GOP nomination, while House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) is among the most-rumored of his vice presidential possibilities.
If paired up, both of the GOP standard-bearers this fall would hail from the Empire State, which is traditionally one of the country’s most reliable Democratic strongholds. While Trump resides in Florida now, his decadeslong history in New York leaves him strongly associated with the state in voters’ minds.
“The former president is certainly associated with New York, and especially New York City,” New York-based Democratic strategist Jack O’Donnell said. “His career, his fame, his show, all of these things are kind of associated with New York. So it seems only right that he would pick a New Yorker like Elise Stefanik to be on the ticket now that he’s no longer a resident of the state.”
Geographic diversity was once considered important for the presidential ticket but may no longer be a consideration for most voters, even if both Republicans emerge from a traditionally blue state, as ideology is now paramount.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2850819/apple-of-their-eye-trump-stefanik-ticket-has-gop-in-new-york-state-mind/
