GOP Rep. Zeldin announces run for N.Y. governor
Republican U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin announced his candidacy for governor of New
York on Thursday with an attack on incumbent Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the subject of investigations over sexual harassment allegations and COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents.
“The bottom line is this; to save New York, Andrew Cuomo’s gotta go,” Zeldin, a fourth-term Congress member from Long Island, said in a news release.
Zeldin, 41, promised to bring “the kind of relentless, fighting spirit towards helping to save our state that Andrew Cuomo only reserves for multi-million dollar self-congratulatory book deals, cover-ups, abuse and self-dealing.”
Cuomo, who has not announced a run for a fourth term as governor in 2022, is facing allegations that he sexually harassed or behaved inappropriately toward several women. He has resisted calls for his resignation over the harassment claims and his administration’s handling of COVID-19 cases in nursing homes during the height of the pandemic last year.
Other Republicans who have said they are considering seeking the Republican nomination for New York governor include Andrew Giuiliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and a former aide in the Trump administration.
Zeldin, a loyal ally to former President Donald Trump during the Republican’s time in office, did not mention Trump in his statement announcing his gubernatorial run.
Zeldin is an Army veteran who has represented New York’s 1st congressional district since 2015. He served two terms in the state Senate before that.