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Staten Island GOP Chair Resigns Due to Party Infighting

By Nicholas Rizzi | February 26, 2013 12:28pm
 Staten Island GOP chairman, Bob Scamardella, resigned on Monday, Feb. 26, 2013. due to public infighting and turmoil between party members.
Staten Island GOP chairman, Bob Scamardella, resigned on Monday, Feb. 26, 2013. due to public infighting and turmoil between party members.
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sigop.com

STATEN ISLAND — The chairman of Staten Island's Republican party surprisingly resigned on Tuesday because of conflict among party members.

Bob Scamardella wrote in a letter to the borough's GOP party members that he was resigning due to recent discord over a city council primary race and a Board of Elections appointment, the Staten Island Advance first reported.

"My resignation occurs because I have been hamstrung in my ability to function and I want to put an end to the recent public displays of Party discord," Scamardella wrote in a letter obtained by the paper.

"I've always been about building Party unity and strength. While I believe that open seats should be open to all potential candidates and that this better serves the interest of the Party — this position has found some disagreement."

Recently, disagreements between Scamardella and Councilman James Oddo's  over the Mid-Island primary, last year's South Shore Assembly race and a pick for the Board of Elections appointee went public, with Oddo telling the Advance that the two haven't spoken in months.

"The recent public coverage of the dispute involving myself and another elected official is such a damaging display," Scamardella wrote. "To end it, I tried to arrange a private meeting. All to no avail."

Scamardella, who took the position as party boss in 2011, wrote that he planned to continue being active in politics and will find other ways to help the GOP.

"I intend to remain active politically and to find other outlets for continued efforts to serve," he wrote.

A county committee meeting will be scheduled to find a new chair, and Scamardella will make his resignation official when a successor is chosen.