More talk of North Country’s Ray Meier as state GOP party chair

Associated Press political writer Michael Gormley scans the wreckage of New York’s Republican Party and finds former state Senator Ray Meier — described in a new article as “a leading candidate to be the next state Republican chairman.”

Meier thinks Republicans need some new ideas:

“One of the things I learned after losing my congressional race is you need to step back and reflect,” he said. “And this party needs to develop a message and we need to talk to people about things that are relevant.”

He said that means reviving the upstate economy, lowering property taxes, making health care affordable and accessible, and improving the quality of schools, even if politicians have to cross powerful lobbies.

“Unless you have something interesting to say, you don’t have a future,” he said. “Successful political movements are about ideas.”

Meier adds this cheerful rallying cry: “And look around — there’s nothing to lose.”