VOTERS GUIDE: New York State Governor: Lee Zeldin

LEE ZELDIN

REPUBLICAN

BACKGROUND:

• Zeldin, 42, has been congressman in a Suffolk County-based district since 2015.
• Previously, the Shirley resident served four years in the State Senate.
• He was one of the strongest allies of ex-President Donald Trump and voted against certifying the 2020 election won by President Joe Biden.
• He earned a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and a law degree from Albany Law School.

ISSUES:

• Calls his rival soft on crime and promises to repeal a 2019 law that eliminated bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies, though it’s unlikely the State Legislature would agree to do so.
• Criticizes awarding of state contracts to companies who’ve also made political contributions.
• Opposes COVID-19 mandates for masks and vaccines. Opposes New York’s “Red Flag Law,” which provides a process for judges to remove firearms from people who are determined to be a danger to themselves or others.
• Opposes abortion rights but says he wouldn’t seek to overturn state law protecting abortion rights. Opposes allowing Medicaid funds to cover abortions.