GOP Faithful Cheer Tague, Stefanik

By Matthew Avitabile

COBLESKILL — It was a change in venue with rain and protests to start, but that didn’t stop the 2025 Republican annual picnic from drawing a large and enthusiastic crowd. Protesters arrived for the Sunday event, which didn’t phase Schoharie County GOP Chair and State Assemblyman Chris Tague.

“We don’t protest at their events,” he said. However, the demonstrators are “free to protest. Freedom of speech,” he said. Tague cited the “peaceful” nature of several protests at recent Republican events, adding that he believed that the protests were linked to the return of President Donald Trump to the White House.

There were a number of local officials and candidates for office at the picnic, which took place at the Cobleskill Fairgrounds. The crowd was amped up for the different officials, breaking into cheers on numerous occasions.

Assemblyman Chris Tague presented former County Treasurer Mary Ann Wollaber-Bryan, Sheriff Ron Stevens, and Summit Town Supervisor Harold Vroman with Assembly Citations for their years of service, calling them “dedicated public servants.” He said that Stevens is an “incredible Sheriff” who, alongside his wife Kathy, donated much to the GOP over the years.

“Keep up the fight,” said Wollaber-Bryan. “For Elise. We need her.”

Tague also presented New York State Young Republicans Club Chair Bobby Walker with the Chairman’s Appreciation award. He cited Walker’s help driving around the North Country when there was almost three feet of snow in Boonville. Tague said that there was “no bigger Donald J. Trump or Elise Stefanik or Peter Oberacker or Chris Tague supporter than Bobby Walker.”

Candidate for Sheriff Albro Fancher spoke, saying that he had “awful big shoes to fill” with the retirement of Sheriff Stevens.

Fancher said that he was a “local kid” raised on “hard work, work ethic, reliability.” He recently retired from 31 years of service in the New York State Police.

District Attorney candidate Chris Luhr cited his four years under former District Attorney Jim Sackett as Assistant District Attorney and 21 years as an FBI Special Agent as his experience, saying that he hoped to act with “equality under the law.”

He said that he was against “lawfare” and sought to strictly enforce personal liberties and the law.

“I am not one of those prosecutors,” he said, citing crime statistics in large cities.

Other candidates including Diana Salazar for Supreme Court and Michael Henry for State Attorney General spoke before the state and federal officials.

State Sen. Peter Oberacker discussed now as the “proudest” he’s been to represent the 51st State Senate District. He said that he wanted to see God enter people’s lives, to be positive, and to care for your family.

Tague got the crowd excited discussing the state of the state. He argued that Gov. Kathy Hochul was incompetent and that Stefanik would make a great governor.

“It sure feels good to be in a room of fire-up, proud Republicans,” he said. “We say God Bless America without apology.” He also cited Schoharie County as the “Heart of Upstate, New York.”

The assemblyman said that now is a “turning point in our nation’ history and thank God we have the right man in the White House.” He said that the Trump administration was “taking the fight straight to the radical left” and that the “America First agenda is alive and well.”

Before bringing Stefanik to the podium, he said that the state was “under siege” under Gov. Hochul, citing immigration, crime, and “chaos.”

“It isn’t just broken,” he said, saying that the current state of affairs in New York was a “disgrace.”

“I had had enough he said.” he sought “someone on the way to save our state.”
Stefanik received a standing ovation. She called Hochul the “worst governor in the country.” The representative also cited that New York was losing the most population in the nation. She hopes to bring her experience to Albany, citing spending on illegal immigrants, and more.
“We need to put law-abiding New Yorkers first,” Stefanik said.