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NY Governor Hopeful Lee Zeldin Talks Tough on Crime at ‘Rally to Fire Kathy Hochul’

Published: August 1, 2022
Lee-Zeldin-Kathy-hochul-New-York-Governor's-Race
NY GOP Candidate for Governor Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) speaks during his “Rally to Fire Kathy Hochul” on July 24, at Francis Lewis Park in Queens, New York. Front runner Rep. Zeldin won the GOP Primary for NY Governor over his three primary challengers. (Image: Vision Times/Ryan Wu)

QUEENS, NYC — On Sunday, July 24, at Francis Lewis Park Congressman Lee Zeldin, who is running to replace Kathy Hochul as Governor of New York state, talked tough on crime at his “Rally to Fire Kathy Hochul and Elect Lee Zeldin.”

Speaking to the crowd, Zeldin asked, “You all ready to fire Kathy Hochul?” to which the crowd erupted in applause. 

Zeldin won the Republican nomination to run for New York state Governor with a commanding 43.9 percent of the total vote, beating out three other candidates, Andrew Giuliani, Rob Astorino and Harry Wilson, last month. He will now square off against incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul this November.  

At his rally, the congressman was vocal about his support for law enforcement saying, “We have some men and women here who served to protect and defend us. This state needs to start once again, unapologetically, backing our men and women in blue,” to which the crowd began to chant, “back the blue.”

Zeldin said one of the first things he would do as Governor is to enact a law enforcement “bill of rights” that recognizes law enforcement’s “inherent right of self defense.” 

“Instead of people in government who are advancing the priorities of the ‘defund the police’ movement, instead how about we make sure that they get every last resource they need to do their job safely and effectively,” he said. 

Working to repeal cashless bail

He was adamant that the state of New York must repeal “cashless bail” laws, citing his own experience with an attacker at one of his rallies in July, where a man holding a sharp “brass knuckle like” weapon approached Zeldin on stage, but was tackled by security before he could do any harm.

Due to the state’s bail laws, the assailant was immediately released.  

Zeldin said, “The Monroe County Sheriff’s office was there within minutes and they arrested him, and as predictable, within hours, he was right back out on the street because of New York’s insane cashless bail law.”

“But that’s not the only story … we read about [in] the headlines,” he said, citing the recent case where an individual who was arrested on arson charges was released only to commit a double manslaughter in Yonkers.  

He also cited the murder of 93-year-old Connie Tuori in Syracuse and an incident where “two Mexican cartel drug smugglers,” who were apprehended with $1.2 million worth of crystal meth  “were immediatly released back out on the streets due to cashless bail.”

“We’re going to take back control of our streets. People like you, the law-abiding New Yorkers. Criminals don’t control these streets, you do. The law enforcement does, all of us together, law-abiding citizens,” he said. 

Zeldin also took aim at the “less is more” policies which are resulting in shorter sentences for convicted criminals and said that New York’s parole board needs an “overhaul.”

‘Victims’ rights matter’

“She [Gov. Hochul] released 191 people from Rikers Island, and a whole bunch of them immediately went right back to commit more offenses,” Zeldin asserted, adding that “We have to overhaul the parole board and change it from majority vote to unanimous vote. And if you want to try to release a cop killer, or a murderer, or a rapist … you cannot do that without talking to victims and victims’ families because victim’s rights matter.”

“We are going to secure our streets,” Zeldin said to which the crowd cheered and applauded. 

In attendance at the rally were several other Republican candidates running for positions in New York state including, Stefano Forte who is running for election to the New York State Senate, and Joe Pinion who is running for the U.S. Senate. 

Also in attendance was Sharon Liao, who is running for election to the New York State Assembly to represent District 40. 

Other notable people in attendance include Michael Henry, George Santos, Rob Speranza, Seth Breland, Andrew Giuliani, Vickie Paladino and Alison Esposito, Zeldin’s running mate, who is vying to become New York state’s next Lieutenant Governor.