Lee Zeldin Wins Republican Primary For New York Governor

NEW YORK — Rep. Lee Zeldin has been declared the winner of the GOP primary and will vie for the New York State governor's seat against incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, who won the Democratic primary Tuesday.

The Associated Press called the win Tuesday after a heated four-way GOP race.

Voters turned out Tuesday to cast their ballots for candidates waging both Republican and Democratic primaries, hoping to garner the chance to run against the opposition and win the New York State governor's seat in November.

Four candidates were engaged in a neck-and-neck GOP primary race Tuesday, with votes tallied hours after Hochul was handily declared the winner in the New York Democratic primary.

And as the night evolved, Zeldin, from Shirley, once again regained his initial lead in the nail biter race, coming in with 43.53 percent of the vote, followed by Andrew Giuliani, a former member of the Trump administration from New York, who fell to second place with 22.68 percent; Rob Astorino, former Westchester county executive, garnered 17.83 percent and Harry Wilson, a businessman from Johnstown, had 14.72 percent as of 1 a.m., with 10,267 of 12,019 districts reporting.

In a statement after the win, Zeldin said: “I commend all of the candidates in this primary for running a hard-fought race and look forward to working together to 'Fire Kathy Hochul' and 'Save Our State'. This is a rescue mission to end the attacks on our safety, wallets, freedoms and kids’ education. Losing is not an option."

He added: "Kathy Hochul has now been warned that the people of New York are coming for her job at the ballot box this November. We will secure our streets. We will make New York more affordable again. We will fight for our kids and our schools. We will fight to preserve freedom for our families to stay here and be strong. We are all in, and will take absolutely nothing for granted in all 62 counties of our state. No county is too large. No county is too small. Kathy Hochul, we are coming for your job."

Here's a look at the candidates who vied for the seat:

Zeldin, who represents the 1st Congressional District on Long Island, in 2o21 formally announced his run for governor in the 2022 election.

Zeldin's decision came amidst growing backlash against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

He added: “With one-party Democrat rule in New York City and Albany, the light that once shone as a beacon of what America can be has gone dark," Zeldin said. "The New York that was once a magnet for the world’s best and brightest is now forcing its own to leave under the crushing weight of skyrocketing taxes, lost jobs, suffocating regulations, and rising crime resulting from dangerously liberal policies."

Zeldin concluded: "I am ready to go all-in on this mission and bring New York back from the brink and return it to glory. For many, this feels like a last stand to save our state. Losing is not an option.”

Zeldin, who lives on Long Island with his wife and twin daughters, earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and then his law degree from Albany Law School. He spent four years on active duty with the U.S. Army and deployed to Iraq with an infantry battalion of fellow paratroopers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and now serves as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve.

An attorney, Zeldin was elected to the New York State Senate, and later, to United States Congress in 2014. Zeldin said his key victories have included work to preserve Plum Island, delivering a $2 billion electron ion collider project to Brookhaven National Lab; securing funding to fight the opioid crisis; preserving coastlines; advocating for veterans, and more.

Zeldin, who won the congressional race to retain his seat by a wide margin, ran for his fourth term, with campaign platforms focused on his military service, support for law enforcement and veterans, a tough stance on immigration, fighting gang violence (including MS-13), growing jobs and the economy, and getting to the other side of the pandemic.

Zeldin's tenure has been marked by speculation about his reported loyalty to former President Donald Trump. Donald Trump Jr. was a guest at a Zeldin fundraiser and Zeldin has greeted the president as he landed on the East End for fundraising events. Zeldin was included in an immigration forum Trump held on Long Island that focused on eradicating gang violence.

Zeldin, however, has said he is proud of his ability to reach consensus on both sides of the political aisle on issues including helicopter noise and on the East End getting personal protective equipment to Long Island during the coronavirus pandemic.

After decrying the violence that rocked the U.S. Capitol in January, Zeldin voted to object to the certification of the Electoral College votes for then-President-elect Joe Biden.

Astorino, a former two-term Westchester county executive, currently works as a business and media consultant, and serves as an independent director on two company boards, his bio states. Previously, Astorino was a national and political affairs contributor for CNN, and was appointed by Cardinal Timothy Dolan as his delegate to the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.

In 2014, Astorino was the Republican nominee for Governor of New York, "holding Andrew Cuomo to only 54 percent the closest election of Cuomo’s career," his bio said.

Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and a lifelong New Yorker, was born and raised in Manhattan, graduated Duke University in 2009 and then turned to professional in golf where he won eight tournaments, his website states. He interned in finance and real estate at CapRok Capital, Brownstone Investment Group, and Jones Lang Lasalle. In 2016, Andrew volunteered on the Trump Campaign in surrogate relations, traveling to the Republican and Democrat National Conventions and all three Presidential debates, his site added. Later, he joined the Trump administration as associate director of the office of public liaison and was promoted to special assistant to the President.

He then worked as an on-air contributor and political analyst for Newsmax Television and is currently on the board of the United States Holocaust Museum and has been involved in helping Tunnel 2 Towers, Heart of a Lion Foundation, The First Tee, City Meals on Wheels, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The Maurer Foundation, and United Cerebral Palsy, his bio stated.

Wilson, his bio states, grew up in Johnstown, the son and grandson of Greek immigrants. His father tended bar and his mom worked at a sewing factory. Harry was the first in his family to go to college, working his way through by cleaning toilets and tending bar. He found success in business and used his skills to turnaround and save struggling companies, his bio stated.

The Democratic primary waged Tuesday included candidates Tom Suozzi and Jumaane Williams, who faced off against Hochul.