▁in ▁Alb any , ▁New ▁York . ▁The ▁purpose ▁of ▁the ▁committee ▁is ▁to ▁nomin ate ▁Republican ▁candidates ▁for ▁election ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁state ▁and ▁federal ▁political ▁roles . ▁It ▁also ▁form ul ates ▁Republican ▁Party ▁policy ▁on ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁issues ▁and ▁ass ists ▁its ▁nom ine es ▁in ▁their ▁election ▁campaign s . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Republican ▁State ▁Committee ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 5 , ▁one ▁year ▁after ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁the ▁" Rep ublic an ▁Party " ▁by ▁William ▁H . ▁S ew ard ▁and ▁Th ur low ▁We ed . ▁Initial ly , ▁the ▁committee ▁met ▁every ▁three ▁years ▁to ▁plan ▁the ▁Republican ▁National ▁Convention ▁and ▁it ▁occasionally ▁met ▁during ▁the ▁election ▁campaign ing ▁periods . ▁ ▁The ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁was ▁a ▁difficult ▁task . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁n ativ ist ▁American ▁Party , ▁( a ▁party ▁evol ved ▁from ▁the ▁Know ▁Nothing ▁Party ) ▁was ▁active . ▁However , ▁the ▁committee ▁presented ▁nom ine es ▁from ▁a ▁party ▁with ▁well - recogn ized ▁members , ▁a ▁defined ▁set ▁of ▁principles , ▁stable , ▁powerful , ▁well - known ▁leaders ▁and ▁a ▁well ▁established ▁structure . ▁The ▁comm itte es ▁nom ine es ▁were ▁first ▁successful ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 6 . ▁Ar ound ▁ 1 8 9 4 , ▁when ▁imm igration ▁was ▁at ▁its ▁peak , ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Constitution ▁created ▁a ▁clause