Lee Zeldin says Democrat ‘misplay’ with Mar-a-Lago raid will cost Kathy Hochul
Republican gubernatorial nominee Lee Zeldin predicted Tuesday his campaign against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul could benefit from GOP blowback to the federal raid on the Florida home of ex-President Donald Trump.
“What took place has a net negative effect for the Democrats. I really feel like they made a big mistake in how they how they’ve done it. It’s been a big, big misplay,” Zeldin told reporters at a campaign stop outside Albany.
“There’s more of an enthusiasm gap in favor of Republicans,” he added.
A boost in GOP energy could help Zeldin overcome the advantages that Hochul, who recently suggested conservatives should leave New York, has with polling and fundraising ahead of the Nov. 8 election.
Polling has shown Zeldin as close as eight points behind Hochul and as far behind as 24 points in his bid to become the first Republican elected statewide since three-term Gov. George Pataki in 2002.
“The polling said George Pataki [in] the last week was going to lose by 11 and a half [points] – and he won by three and a half,” Zeldin said Tuesday.
“It’s only August,” he added.
Zeldin has focused on issues like rising crime, inflation and alleged pay-to-play schemes involving the governor while Hochul has leaned on abortion, gun control and Zeldin’s Trump ties in her bid for a full term in office.
The Republican targeted Hochul Tuesday for declining to take a public stand on outstanding legislation that would repeal qualified immunity for police officers to make it easier for New Yorkers to sue over civil rights violations — an idea Zeldin opposes.
“Whether you’re for qualified immunity or against qualified immunity. You know where I stand,” Zeldin said Tuesday while knocking Hochul over delays in confirming when she will debate him on television.
Zeldin added Tuesday that Times Square would go “downhill” if a casino were ever located there while repeating a past call to safeguard schools by deploying armed police.
“I believe that every school should have a school resource officer, that you have somebody who is trained. They’re armed. They have an ability to be able to exceptionally respond to any type of an incident,” he told reporters.
A Hochul spokesman, Jerrel Harvey, fired back in a statement to The Post early Tuesday evening.
“Lee Zeldin is doing everything he can to make it easier for people to get their hands on dangerous weapons, even if it means opposing common sense measures like gun-free zones and red flag laws,” Harvey said.
Her campaign is doubling down on efforts to tie Zeldin to Trump ahead of a Sept. 4 fundraiser in New Jersey headlined by the former president, which signaled that he might take a larger role in the race after laying low in the GOP gubernatorial primary.
“Lee Zeldin is falling over himself to defend impeached former president Donald Trump, joining the chorus of MAGA Republicans criticizing the rule of law for no other reason than blind loyalty,” Harvey added.
Political experts say Zeldin needs to win big margins in the downstate suburbs and upstate along with at least 30% of New York City to beat Hochul this November.
While the GOP standard-bearer has fallen short of meeting those targets in recent polls, he said Tuesday that he remains confident in victory based on what he hears on the campaign trail.
“That’s the data and you need. It’s actually being out on the streets. New Yorkers are fed off right now. They’re not happy with the direction of the state. And this is not a Republican thing. It’s not a Democrat thing and independent thing. This is a New Yorker thing,” he said.
