“It’s time to move on to the next chapter of my life,” said Paladino, 76, the GOP candidate for governor in 2010. “I’m forever grateful for this community. I will always support Western New York.” Nick Langworthy won 24,275 votes in Tuesday’s primary compared to 22,283 for Paladino.Dennis A. Clark One of Paladino’s staunchest supporters was powerful Rep. Elise Stefanik, chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, while much of the GOP establishment supported Langworthy. Stefanik threw her weight behind Paladino despite a history of racist and bigoted remarks — even enlisting her staff to work on the campaign. Langworthy claimed the feud with Stefanik was sparked after he moved quickly to rally support for Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin’s gubernatorial bid — ending Stefanik’s potential bid to challenge Democrat Kathy Hochul before it even began. But Stefanik’s camp had denied that was happening in a previous interview with The Post. “If Elise wanted to run for Governor, she would have run for Governor. And she would never have to lower herself to ask Nick Langworthy for permission. That’s for the voters to decide,” Stefanik adviser Alex deGrasse said in June, adding that she is happy to serve in her current role. “We won the battle. You should ask Congresswoman Stefanik about that,” Langworthy campaign adviser Chris Grant said when asked if Stefanik had offered congratulations. In her Twitter feed, Stefanik congratulated nine other victorious Republican candidates in the New York primary — including Michael Lawler in the 17th Congressional District and Rep. Claudia Tenney in the 24th Congressional District — but not Langworthy. The MP, through a spokeswoman, declined to comment on Langworthy’s victory. Carl Paladino has accepted his defeat and is ready to start a new chapter in his life. Shawna Stanley for NY PostRep. Elise Stefanik strongly supported Paladino even with his history of racist remarks.Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock Langworthy received 24,275 votes in Tuesday’s primary compared to 22,283 for Paladino. He will be the favorite to win the general election over Democrat Max Della Pia in one of the state’s most conservative districts that covers suburban Buffalo and the southern tier. If he wins the seat, Langworthy has said he will step down as state GOP chairman in January.
