LAKE PLACID, NY — At its 2023 Young Republican State Convention this past weekend in Lake Placid, New York, delegates representing more than 30 chapters of the Association of New York State Young Republican Clubs (NYSYR) gathered to unanimously re-elect Peter Giunta of Richmond County (Staten Island) as Chairman. First elected in 2021, Giunta is only the second individual from Richmond County to lead the Association in its 90-year history.
Giunta is Chief of Staff to New York State Assemblymember Michael Reilly and served as President of the Staten Island Young Republican Club from 2019 to 2021. He has been involved in state and local politics for more than one decade, serving in senior roles on numerous political campaigns, including as Deputy Campaign Manager for Marc Molinaro’s 2018 campaign for Governor and most recently as Campaign Manager for Sam Pirozzolo’s 2022 campaign for State Assembly, ultimately flipping a district that had been held by Staten Island Democrats for 40 years.
Giunta was raised and still resides in the Great Kills section of Staten Island. In 2019, he was recognized as one of City & State Magazine’s “40 Under 40” Rising Stars, and, in 2023, as one of PoliticsNY’s “Election 2022 Power Players” for his leadership of NYSYR during the 2022 election cycle which saw more than 30 Young Republicans elected to local, state, and federal office.
As Chairman, Giunta has led the Association through a period of immense revitalization, marshaling an army of more than 2,500 young volunteers, professional operatives, party leaders, and elected officials under the umbrella of the Republican Party. Over the past two years, this diverse coalition has been responsible for making more than 3.5 million voter contacts as well as recruiting and electing dozens of Young Republicans to office in every corner of the state. Giunta’s administration has chartered more than one dozen new chapters since 2021, most recently welcoming chapters in Oswego, Otsego, and Warren counties to the Association. These efforts are possible, in part, because of renewed donor interest in the movement generally as well as assistance programs for member chapters intended to boost community engagement and voter education.
“It is an honor to be re-elected unanimously by my peers and entrusted, once more, with this extraordinary responsibility to lead our Association through what I believe is a Republican resurgence in New York not seen since the 1990s,” said Giunta. “Two years ago, I set out on a mission to unite this movement and revitalize it so that New York Republicans would have a future. With more than 3.5 million voter contacts made by our members and dozens of Young Republicans elected to office, we have made some incredible progress, but with the 2024 election now on the horizon, our mission is far from over.”
Giunta continued: “Over the next two years, we will work to educate voters about Republicans’ winning agenda on safe streets, quality schools, and economic prosperity — the top issues that young voters across New York, many beginning professional careers and starting families of their own, care about most. And, above all else, we are doubling down on efforts to boost Republican voter enrollment while also encouraging absentee and early voting — because we simply cannot allow the Democrats to continue taking advantage of these opportunities. Young Republicans are breathing life back into the Republican Party and I am confident we will reap the rewards of these efforts in 2024 and beyond.”
Also re-elected were Vice Chair Bobby Walker of Albany County, Treasurer Daniel Koerner of Otsego County, and Recording Secretary DawnMarie Kuhn of Suffolk County. Newly elected individuals were Christine Oddo of Suffolk County as Corresponding Secretary, Anne Kakaty of Richmond County as National Committeewoman, and Gavin Wax of New York County as National Committeeman.

As part of the state convention, Young Republicans representing more than 30 chapters, as well as representatives from the College and Teen Republican federations, participated in business discussion and activism training. Later that evening, more than 100 packed the ballroom at the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort in Lake Placid, New York, for the Association’s 26th Annual Teddy Roosevelt Dinner where Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin delivered a keynote speech and several individuals were honored for inspiring and empowering young leaders across the state:
- Theodore Pomeroy Congressmember of the Year: Congresswoman Claudia Tenney
- Walter Mahoney State Senator of the Year: Senator Mark Walczyk
- Wheeler Milmoe State Assemblymember of the Year: Assemblyman Brian Maher
- Seth Low Municipal Official of the Year: Maryland Supervisor Ron Wheeler
- Bryon McKim Alumni of the Year: Former Congressman Joe Sempolinski
- George H. Sibley Young Republican of the Year: Broome Republican Committee Chair Benji Federman
- Gerrans Building Chapter of the Year: Orange County Young Republicans
Detailed descriptions of award namesakes and biographies for each honoree are available upon request.