Give a Dam Vote Conservative

Illustration of a beaver standing on its back legs with one arm outstretched with black text above and below on a bright orange background

The Conservative Party of New York State was founded in 1962 and is now the fourth-largest political party in the state of New York. In 1973, the party decided they wanted an animal symbol, as the Democratic Party had the donkey, and the Republican Party had the elephant. The beaver was selected through an essay contest decided by a committee of 19 judges. Arguments from finalists in support of the beaver included, "“If you give a dam—vote Beaver.”, “Every Conservative should be an ‘Eager Beaver.’", and “We Conservatives have to ‘work like beavers’ in order to elect our candidates.” The runner-up nominees were the lion and the buffalo.