Ambassador Gioia likely to succeed Cox as GOP chairman

Anthony Gioia, the former United States Ambassador to Malta during the Bush administration, is likely to succeed Ed Cox as Chairman of the New York Republican Party following a stunning series of unexpected losses in the State Senate.

Cox has struggled to lead the party since taking the helm in 2009.  He has failed to field a single successful statewide candidate during his tenure, and the incoming Democratic majority in the State Senate is projected to be larger than 40 of the chamber’s 63 seats.

Cox’s critics insist that he must depart immediately.  There is only one opportunity to retake the State Senate ahead of redistricting in 2021, when Republicans will be drawn out of existence if they fail to retake the chamber in 2020.  That task would require winning back five or six districts — a herculean task even in a favorable election cycle.

That the party was unable to place a single television advertisement for its otherwise flawless gubernatorial nominee, Marc Molinaro, is a point of particular upset among the party’s foot soldiers.

Donors and party operatives expect Cox to resign before the opening of the State Legislature’s next session in January.

Gioia is a prolific Republican fundraiser who secured significant backing for presidential candidates John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012.