Former New York Gop Leader Dies

04.13.09 | FL News Team

Former Monroe County Republican chairman Steve Minarik has died. Minarik suffered a fatal heart attack early Sunday morning. He was just 49-years-old.

Minarik took over the GOP back in 1992 when he was 32 years old, the youngest in county history. He is credited as the architect behind Republican victories in county government and local races. County Executive Maggie Brooks says there is no single person who had a greater impact on politics.

Minarik helped Brooks win the post in 2003, making her the first woman executive in Monroe County. The two had a falling out last year and Minarik stepped down as GOP chairman. At the time he said it would give him more time to focus on his health. He was stricken with diabetes and survived a stroke in 2001.