Nassau GOP chair Joe Cairo elected to Republican National Committee

Nassau Republican Committee Chairman Joseph G. Cairo Jr. has been elected to the 168-member Republican National Committee, giving the county GOP a voice in setting the party’s national agenda.

Cairo, 77, of Valley Stream, was elected by members of the state GOP committee at their June 6 meeting. He will serve on the RNC with state Republican Chairman Edward Cox, of Westhampton Beach, and National Committeewoman Jennifer Saul Rich, of Manhattan.

RNC members assist in determining the national party’s policies and platform and help raise money for federal candidates.

Cairo, who replaces Western New York business owner Charles Joyce, said the post will help local Republicans advocate on national issues such as restoration of the SALT tax deduction and restricting immigration.

“It really gives us a voice to express that to people throughout the country who do have some influence with people who serve in Washington,” Cairo said.

Cairo’s election as a national committeeman comes after several successes for Nassau Republicans. The party won the Nassau County executive and county district attorney races in 2021 and flipped two Democratic House seats in the Third and Fourth Districts in 2022.

Rep. George Santos (R-Nassau/Queens), who was elected in the Third District, has been indicted on 13 federal criminal charges related to his personal and campaign finances. Cairo has called repeatedly for Santos to resign. Santos has pleaded not guilty and refused to resign. 

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese covers Suffolk County government and politics. She joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.