This week, the New York Republicans gave U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin their stamp of approval heading into a potential primary in the race for governor.

Gerard Kassar, chair of the New York Conservative Party, says the conditions are right for Zeldin to make it all the way to the Governor’s Mansion.

Despite not being one of the major political parties, the Conservative Party remains an influential force in New York politics due to the state’s electoral fusion rules. These rules allow a candidate to run on multiple party lines in an election. The Conservative Party has traditionally supported the Republican statewide ticket and brought in over 200,000 votes for the GOP gubernatorial nominee in the last three elections.

Kassar told Capital Tonight that he is confident that Zeldin can win in November. He said both the Republican and Conservative parties are on the same page when it comes to the issues impacting New Yorkers: crime, the economy and COVID-19 mandates.

“The issues confronting New York state have really agitated many New Yorkers who are represented in our political parties to come out and feel a need to participate and make change” argued Kassar.

Despite getting support from both the GOP and Conservative parties, Zeldin faces a potentially rocky road to the state’s highest office. Zeldin received 85% of the GOP vote at this week’s convention but faces a potential Republican Party primary in June. There is recent precedent of a party’s preferred nominee losing a primary. Former Long Island Rep. Rick Lazio was the Conservative and GOP’s preferred nominee in 2010 but lost the nomination to Buffalo businessman Carl Paladino, who went on to lose to then-Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Undeterred, Kassar said he is committed to Zeldin “all the way to November” and said primary opponents should “unite behind Lee Zeldin and not attempt to create a divisive scenario that only helps the Democratic Party.”

If Zeldin is successful in November, he will be the first Republican and Conservative backed candidate to win statewide office since George Pataki won a third term in 2002.