State GOP Convention to Rochester

Updated?01/05/2012 10:57 PM

For the first time in 12 years, state Republicans will hold their annual convention in Upstate New York. State GOP chair Ed Cox made the announcement Thursday at an organizational meeting of Republican county chairs in Albany.

For local Republicans, this selection is a political statement about the party's strength in Monroe County. For local tourism officials, a major convention will provide a boost to the economy.

'); if(infobox=='True' && ShowInfoBox_l569241_1==false){ jQuery("#player_infobarl569241_1").trigger('click'); ShowInfoBox_l569241_1==true; } }; $.setup_player(Play_Conf); //info bar setup jQuery('#player_infobarl569241_1').click(function() { var $info =jQuery('#player_info_contentl569241_1'); if($info.text()!=''){ var $content = jQuery('div',$info); //min heigth var min = $content.css('min-height'); var max = $content.css('max-height'); $info.slideToggle(600); ShowInfoBox_l569241_1=!ShowInfoBox_l569241_1; } }); });

? To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

There are still a lot of details to finalize. Exactly where and when the convention will be held is still to be determined.

Monroe County GOP chairman Bill Reilich says one thing is certain: this spring all eyes will be on Rochester and Monroe County.

"There are 62 counties in the state of New York. Sixty one wish they had the convention."

Reilich says he's honored the state Republican party chose Monroe County for the 2012 convention, but he's not surprised.

"We've been very successful in elections. We have a great organization. I think it's something they'd like to model the rest of the state after and I think this is an opportunity to highlight that."

County Executive Maggie Brooks was recently re-elected to an unprecedented third term. Reilich says her success goes far beyond party popularity.

"We're proud of the efforts our county executive has led with job creation and retention, faring better than Buffalo and Syracuse. It's a bright spot in the state."

Even a bright spot in a struggling economy could use a boost; something a major convention is sure to provide.

"We're delighted with the announcement,? said Ed Hall.

Hall is the president and CEO of Visit Rochester. He says bringing thousands of people to downtown Rochester is good for the economy, and it's not just hotels and restaurants that will benefit.

"You get a lot of retail sales. People forget things when they come and they have to run out to the drugstore, obviously fuel, transportation, so there's a lot of economic impact and all of that generates sales tax."

Downtown Rochester hosts tens of thousands of people each year. Rochester's Convention Center is a popular site for business meeting and social events. Hall says a political convention is unique.
"I think the significant difference here is that this one will receive a lot of media attention, not only locally but throughout the state, so that's like free advertising and that's the side benefit."

The convention will be held in either May or June, but until the new Assembly and Senate district lines are drawn and a primary election date is set, the time and location of the event cannot be finalized.

Reilich says he's hopeful the Rochester Convention Center will still be available. No matter where it's held, Reilich is thrilled to host his downstate colleagues.

"I think a lot of folks from the city think that this is extremely rural. When they come to Rochester, they are going to be a little bit surprised seeing a hub of activity."

This convention is more than a party. A challenger will also be chosen to face New York's junior Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Relich says he's also working on booking a national known political figure for the event.

Source: http://fingerlakes.ynn.com/content/top_stories/569241/state-gop-convention-to-rochester

tanuki mirror mirror trailer bob knight bob knight lavar arrington hope solo dancing with the stars hope solo dancing with the stars