Republicans can make serious gains in NY IF big donors get in the game

“Hey Vickie, when are you running for mayor?”For the last few months I’ve been hearing this at least once a week, and my answer is always the same: “When the GOP gets serious about New York.”The last election saw a seismic political shift throughout the city — people turned out not only to support President Trump, but to send an unmistakable message of dissatisfaction to the Democratic monopoly that rules the state.It was a shot across the bow of a political machine currently mired in some of the lowest approval ratings ever recorded.But the real question is whether the Republican Party can capitalize, and on that the jury is still very much out.The sad fact is, politics runs on money — and in New York City, Democrats have it and Republicans don’t.Simple as that.I’m talking about the kind of third-party expenditures and infrastructure that not only make candidates competitive, but buy your party credibility in the minds of voters.This is where Democrats have their real edge — a vast patronage network of unions, activist organs and of course nonprofits, all colluding to project a facade of inevitability so airtight that even Boss Tweed couldn’t have dreamt it at the height of Tammany Hall.Meanwhile, Republicans struggle not only to win elections, but to recruit talented candidates in the first place.We don’t have much of a pitch to offer: “Put your life and career on hold, subject yourself and your family to vicious attacks by vindictive leftists, without any kind of institutional support, infrastructure, media or funding.

Oh and you’ll probably lose.”So yeah, not great.It’s a shame, because there are actual openings here.In the current political environment there’s no reason why the GOP couldn’t flip at least five more City Council seats as well as a handful of state senate and assembly seats.We have a golden opportunity to boot Alvin Bragg, the despicable Soros DA who’s been a blight on our city since he took office four year...