Zeldin Responds To 'Disgusting' Gershon Mailer

EAST END, NY — Candidates came out swinging Wednesday as Rep. Lee Zeldin, a Republican who is running for his second term representing the 1st Congressional District, blasted his opponent, businessman and Democrat Perry Gershon, for a campaign mailer that appeared in mailboxes just six days before the mid-term elections.

The mailer features a hanger and the words: "Lee Zeldin's plan for women's healthcare." Gershon, in at least one debate, has said women's rights and Roe v. Wade are threatened under the current administration.

Zeldin sent out a blistering response: “On Halloween, as parents and kids return home to enjoy the evening together, this is the mail piece that my opponent's campaign thought as most fitting to greet them in their mailbox today. This is the most disgusting mail piece I have ever seen in any campaign I have ever been a part of. Perry Gershon launched his campaign stating it was due to similarities in his head between Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler of Nazi, Germany, who murdered six million Jews and millions of others. That was one heck of a disgusting opening argument and this is one heck of a vile, disgusting closing argument. Gershon will lose this election in six days for all of the right reasons.”

Gershon sent out a statement Wednesday, as well as an image of the other side of the mailer: "Lee Zeldin’s record on women’s health is abysmal, and he shows contempt for women’s equality. While our imagery may be jarring initially, the facts behind it are far more dangerous," he said. "I stand for preserving funding for Planned Parenthood, continuing healthcare coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, protecting a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions, and passing legislation to end the gender pay gap. I am proudly endorsed by Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund, and the National Organization for Women."

Gershon said he believes that Zeldin "repeatedly votes to restrict reproductive rights, directly challenging Roe v. Wade. Without Roe v. Wade, there is limited right of choice lawfully permitted in our State of New York. Lee voted for a bill that would let insurers deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, stemming from pregnancy, C-sections, Celiac disease, hysterectomies, eating disorders, domestic violence and sexual assault treatment — and charge exorbitant rates."

An estimated 8.7 million women gained maternity services under the ACA, Gerson said, "but Lee doesn’t think that’s a big deal: He voted to allow insurers to drop maternity coverage. Contraceptive coverage under ACA contributed to a dramatic decline in unintended pregnancies — including teen pregnancies now at a 30-year low. But Lee betrayed women and voted to let insurers stop covering such critical services for women."

Zeldin, Gerson maintained: "repeatedly voted to defund Planned Parenthood, which 2.4 million people depend on for health care including prenatal care, cancer screening, PAP smears, vasectomies, and STI testing and treatment. In Suffolk County, women earn $51,014 for a job that pays men $65,326 — $14,312 less. Lee voted to block Congress from considering a bill to end the pay gap and protect workers from retaliation for sharing information on their wages. Lee, if you are more upset about a mailer than you are about restricting women’s rights, perhaps you should be looking for a new job? Good thing there is an election in six days."

It's not the first time a mailer has sparked tempers in what's shaped up to be an acrimonious campaign season. A Zeldin mailer listing the wrong date for absentee ballots caused backlash.

Tensions continued to rise this week as Zeldin maintained that a college student was "assaulted" by a Gershon staffer — and Gershon campaign signs were defaced with the words "Baby Killer" and "Gay Lover."

Patch photos courtesy Zeldin/Gershon campaigns.