Pete Holmberg is a gay Republican running for New York State Senate in Trump’s district in New York City.
Says Holmberg in his new campaign ad, produced by The New York Republican County Committee: “Back in the 1980s, I was called a ‘fa**ot’. Now today as a Republican, I’m being called a ‘fascist.'”
Wrote Holmberg in text accompanying his campaign video: “As a New Yorker, a patriot, and a businessman, I’m horrified by the way Manhattan is treated by our government. From egregious taxes, to disrespectful restrictions on law enforcement, there are so many poor decisions threatening the future of Senatorial District 28, the place I’ve called home for more than 26 years. When Manhattan GOP Chairwoman Andrea Catsimatidis recruited me to run in March of this year, I thought long and hard about it. The conclusion I finally arrived at was this: After everything I’ve experienced and seen in life, maybe, just maybe, I could bring some new solutions to the table, and bring some unexpected people together. So I threw my hat in the ring.”
Holmberg added that he was grateful to Milo Yiannopoulos sympathizer Chadwick Moore, who turned Republican following backlash to his OUT magazine profile of the gay white supremacist: “As for the publicly coming out as a gay Republican thing, I would love to say I had the guts to do it first, but I’m hardly the first gay man out of the conservative gate in the Trump Era. Chadwick Moore paved the way for me (in the pages of The New York Post no less!) and I’m eternally grateful to him for introducing me to others like myself. Just like in the eighties, I learned I wasn’t alone!”
Holmberg concluded: ‘Earlier this year, my friend Michael called me and said, “you need to talk to this guy Brandon, he’s lost all his friends!” Normally that kind intro would be a red flag, but in NYC gay conservative circles, it’s kind of become a badge of honor. Brandon Straka has become one of my closest friends and his creation of The #WalkAway Campaign has had a direct impact across the country that I feel everyday on the streets of NYC as I meet people who are questioning old ideas and the fears that they accepted as facts. The world is changing. The Democratic Party isn’t what it was ten years ago, and The Republican Party isn’t what it was ten years ago. People today need to assess how they feel about specific issues, prioritize those issues according to what matters most to them, and then choose a team. As a fiscal conservative who opposes “Sanctuary Cities,” believes that the cap on Charter Schools should be lifted, and sees firsthand the way reckless taxation is driving people out of New York State, that choice was easy for me. I am proud to be a Republican. I’m even prouder to be a New Yorker. And I look forward to meeting many more of you.’
