Zeldin spars with opponents
Four-term congressman has been the lead candidate for the GOP ahead of primary
U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-long Island, was the primary target of attacks during the GOP debate for governor this week as the three other Republican candidates sought to make a substantial impression ahead of the June 28 primary.
Zeldin had fiery exchanges with the two other candidates on stage with him Monday: businessman Harry Wilson and former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. Andrew Giuliani, the son of Rudy Giuliani, appeared virtually because he was out of compliance with COVID -19 vaccination requirements for the Manhattan CBS2 studio.
The debate gave voters an opportunity to learn more about some of the candidates who have lower name recognition in public polling.
Zeldin, a former state senator and a four-term congressman, has been the lead candidate for the state party for months. Astorino was the party’s nominee in 2014. Wilson was the Republican nominee for state comptroller in 2010. Giuliani, the lone candidate to have never run for office, has enjoyed some of the highest name recognition, a byproduct of being the son of the former
New York City mayor and attorney for former President Donald J. Trump.
Trump, crime, climate and abortion
Zeldin, Astorino and Giuliani all said they would back Trump if he were to run for president in 2024. Wilson, who was an adviser to former President Barack Obama, avoided the question and referred to himself as a “Reagan Republican.”
Zeldin chided him throughout the debate by calling him, “Never Trumper Wilson.” Wilson and Astorino consistently tried to label Zeldin as close to former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo when the Long Island Republican was a member of the state Senate.
They said the ongoing congressional hearings examining the Jan. 6, 2021, protests in Washington, D.C. are unimportant relative to the issues in front of Americans and New Yorkers today, including record inflation, surging crime and high fuel costs.
All the candidates pivoted when asked about limiting a person’s ability to conceal carry a pistol, a reference to the impending decision from the U.S. Supreme Court that may overturn the state’s law prohibiting carrying a concealed weapon. Gov. Kathy Hochul has pledged
to bring lawmakers back to Albany and pass new laws that would meet any new legal threshold in limiting where people can carry firearms.
Zeldin said he would repeal the SAFE Act. Astorino said he felt he needed his pistol the most when going from his home in Westchester County to the Bronx, a place where there is higher rates of gun violence. Wilson suggested a targeted approach to gun restrictions regarding people who have a criminal record or a mental illness. Giuliani said the state should implement his father’s “stop and frisk” and “broken windows” policies, both of which have been found by researchers to disproportionately target Black and Latino communities.
The candidates all spoke
heavily about the state’s bail laws, which were retooled by the Legislature this year, and concerns with the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has become a frequent subject of Republican criticism.
All the candidates raised issues with the state’s abortion laws, but Wilson said he would not consider changing them if he was to be elected governor. Their concerns centered on what stage in a pregnancy a woman can have an abortion and who can perform it.
All candidates wanted expanded opportunities for use of natural gas in the state, which would likely be out of compliance with the state’s climate laws and goals. Giuliani said he wants to transform New York into the “best fracking state in the country.” Wilson spoke more about cutting gasoline and diesel taxes and reducing regulations for energy and food to reduce costs of living.
On domestic terrorism, the candidates avoided speaking about the Buffalo shooting in which a white 18-year-old Broome County man killed 10 Black people. Zeldin pointed to a recent incident when a 26-yearold California man was charged with attempting to murder U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, saying the focus should be on “not just what’s convenient for the narrative.”
The candidates also discussed reducing crime and opening up free speech, a subject that has been fueled recently by Elon Musk’s bid to buy Twitter and change its content moderation policies.
None of the candidates expressed support for children in schools being taught LGBTQ education, a nod to the controversial Parental Rights in Education bill in Florida that bans schools from providing classroom instruction on “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” for students in kindergarten through third grade. Wilson, again, pivoted and spoke about civics education and reeducating students after two years of COVID -19 studies.