Jerry Kassar, the chair of the Brooklyn Conservative Party, is sticking by the interview process and the conversations the Conservative Party had with Rafael Espinal. Kassar says he spoke with Espinal, who made it clear to him "that positions on the [WFP] questionnaire are not his positions" and said that he himself was not the one who personally submitted the statements.

While Kassar said he understood there were "nuances" to the positions he took with the Conservatives, he was left with the impression that Espinal would be on their side in the Assembly. "For legislative purposes, I would consider him a pro-life candidate," Kassar said. "I believe he would have voted no on same-sex marriage, had he been up there [in the Assembly]."

Kassar said he spoke with Espinal about the issue before and after the vote.