Onondaga County Republican Chairman Tom Dadey is endorsing Donald Trump for president. Dadey and Trump go back a few years to 2014, when he was part of a group that met with Trump to discuss a run for governor. Trump at one point came to Syracuse for a GOP fundraiser, and Dadey has been a fan ever since.
"Our economy is sluggish, we’re not respected in the world and we need somebody who is going to be a good strong leader, and I believe that is Donald Trump," Dadey said.
He said he’s not the only one in central New York with that opinion.
"People are worried about their jobs, they're worried about the economy, they’re worried about how they’re going to pay for their kids college tuition and then when their kids graduate, there isn’t a job or opportunity for them to come back to," Dadey said. "That’s why I think he’s hit a nerve in a lot of spots in this country, especially upstate New York.”
Dadey believes he’s the first committee chair in the state to support Trump, and said he’ll work on getting more committee chairs to do the same.
"I am having conversations with my peers in central New York and across the state to actively support Donald Trump because we need to be unified in our support," Dadey said. "Because at the end of the day, we need to be focused on beating Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in November, and the person that gives us the best chance to do that is Donald Trump.”
Dadey believes Trump’s upstate appeal is deep, especially in areas like central New York, that are still experiencing an economic malaise. He also hopes his early support means another Trump visit as the April 19 New York State primary approaches.
"It’s my hope that he will come back to central New York prior to April 19," Dadey said. "Yes, I’m going to try and get him here.”
