Lee M. Zeldin, Representative in Congress, 1st Congressional District

LEE M. ZELDIN

Republican

BACKGROUND:

• Zeldin, 40, of Shirley, is running for his fourth term in Congress. He is also running on the Conservative and Independence party lines.
• He won his first term in 2014, after serving four years in the state Senate.
• He graduated from the University at Albany in 2001 and earned a law degree from Albany Law School in 2003. He served four years in the U.S. Army on active duty, including in Iraq, and is currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserves.

ISSUES:

• Zeldin is one of President Trump’s fiercest congressional supporters and has aligned himself with most of the president’s positions, including supporting efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. He has argued that increased competition in the health insurance market will reduce consumer costs.
• He has touted his outreach to the White House with helping to secure personal protective equipment for Suffolk County during the pandemic and also touts his efforts to secure federal funding for district projects including $1.5 million to preserve the Plum Island Lighthouse.
• He has made support for law enforcement a key issue of his campaign, saying he opposes any calls to redirect funding from police departments for social service initiatives.