PRESS RELEASE:

Manhattan, New York...June 1, 2010 - Having received approximately 62-percent of the vote, Gary Bernsten has been chosen as the official designee of the Republican Party for Senate to challenge Chuck Schumer in the fall. The voting concluded Day 1 of the New York Republican Party State Convention. After garnering approximately 38-percent of the vote, second-place finisher Jay Townsend qualified to appear on the primary ballot on September 14.

"Gary Bernsten is certainly a game changer," said State Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox. "Given his incredible professional experience on the world stage and his foreign policy acumen, Bernsten is sure to become a leader in that arena in the Senate."



Republican Party Designee for Senate, Gary Berntsen, is a retired CIA Officer with a history of service to our country. He served four years in the United States Air Force as a Crash Firefighter and then served 23 years in the Central Intelligence Agency's Clandestine Service. In response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Berntsen led the CIA 's paramilitary forces in eastern Afghanistan against Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. Additionally, Berntsen serves as president of an investigative and security services firm known as The Berntsen Group, appears as a national security expert on Fox News and CNN, and has authored the New York Times best seller Jawbreaker: The Attack on Bin Laden and al Qaeda.

"I will pursue Sen. Schumer in every town, on every street and every village. I will not allow him to sit in Washington, D.C. and send out campaign notices," said Gary Bernsten. "Senator Schumer, you've gotten a pass for too many years. The game has changed. My name is Gary Berntsen and I am running for U.S. Senate."