Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele told me last night that he thinks New York can be in play for his party, but the national GOP doesn’t put in the time.

“We don’t work New York as hard as we should,” Steele said. “Obviously you’ve had some local congressional success … but more broadly speaking it’s a tougher hill to climb because we don’t work it as hard as we should.”

Steele said that as chairman he sought to emphasize states that Republicans have had trouble in over the years, holding meet and greets and town hall events.

“That’s how you start the conversation, that’s how you change the dynamic and so that negative trend line of not winning races and certainly nationally make New York more competitive for us and I think it should be,” he said.

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