During their convention Friday, State Republicans officially nominated Wendy Long to run against Charles Schumer for U.S. Senate. Zack Fink filed the following report.

BUFFALO - It was political deja vu for Wendy Long, who unsuccessfully took on Kirsten Gillirband in 2012. This time, her target might even be tougher: Charles Schumer.

In her acceptance speech, Long not only took on her new rival but also the Democratic party establishment itself.

"The eight-year disaster of the Obama presidency, which has the fingerprints of Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton all over it, has inspired something."

Long needs that inspiration because she badly lost her race against Gillibrand, garnering just 26 percent of the vote.

Schumer shrugged off the challenge.

"I don't look over my shoulder," he said. "I do a good job. So far, everything has worked out when you work hard. So that's what I'm trying to do to win re-election."

While Republicans were officially here to nominate Long for Senate, the talk was of presidential politics, particularly the rise of Donald Trump and what the New York GOP should do about it.

"It's refreshing," said state Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan. "The thing that I am gratified by probably more than anything else? New York is in play, and potentially in a big way, especially given the fact that two of the people running are from New York. That's a huge thing for the state."

But like Flanagan, former gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino also declined to fully jump on the Trump bandwagon.

"The excitement is on our side. Everybody is talking about the Republican primary, the Republican candidates, the Republican ideas," Astorino said. Look at the lines. It's really true."

But GOP leaders from Buffalo have been more enthusiastic about Trump. And former gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, a Buffalo businessman, had a prominent speaking role at this convention. He was an early Trump backer.

"He's awakened the middle class. He has awakened the silent majority," Paladino said.

At the 2014 convention, Paladino wasn't even awarded a speaking role.