Rep. Lee Zeldin, the four-term congressman who has represented Riverhead and the North Fork, defeated three challengers Tuesday to win the Republican nomination for governor.
The Associated Press called the race at 10:30 p.m. at a point where unofficial results from the New York State Board of Elections showed Mr. Zeldin with 41% of the votes with about 50% of districts reporting.
Mr. Zeldin of Shirley will challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul in November’s general election after Ms. Hochul ran away with the Democratic primary.
Supporters of Mr. Zeldin, who had nominated by the Republican party in March, were gathered at the Coral House in Baldwin Tuesday evening where the celebration was set to begin. Mr. Zeldin, who had been the presumptive favorite in the race, defeated Andrew Giuliani, the son of the former New York City mayor, Harry Wilson, a former state comptroller and Rob Astorino, a former Westchester county executive.
Initial results showed Mr. Zeldin was winning more than 75% of the votes in Suffolk County.
Mr. Zeldin has campaigned on issues such as public safety, particularly repealing the bail reform laws passed in 2020, cutting taxes, reforming the government and establishing term limits, and improving education by ending “all indoctrination and brainwashing,” according to his campaign site.
Mr. Zeldin said in a statement Tuesday morning as the voting began that he had been all in on “saving our state” since announcing his bid for governor and was eager to end “the attacks on our safety, wallets, freedoms and kids’ education.”
“Crushing this primary today is the best way to move forward in this rescue mission to fire Kathy Hochul this November,” he said.
Mr. Zeldin formally announced his campaign in April 2021 at a time when the controversy around former Gov. Andrew Cuomo was growing. At the time, the Mr. Zeldin’s campaign was centered around doing “everything he can to make sure Mr. Cuomo doesn’t get a fourth term,” a spokesperson had said.
It only took five more months for Mr. Cuomo’s chances at a fourth term evaporated. He resigned in August 2021 amid escalating allegations of sexual misconduct, opening the door for Ms. Hochul to become the state’s first woman governor.
Mr. Zeldin served two terms in the New York State Senate beginning in 2010 before defeating Congressman Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) in his second bid for Congress in 2014. He went on to win reelection from 2016-2020, becoming a close ally of President Trump and fully backing the MAGA movement.
Mr. Zeldin was one of 147 Republicans who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election, even after a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, which is the examination of an ongoing Congressional hearing on the events of Jan. 6.
To win November’s general election, the governor would seemingly still face an uphill battle in a state that generally leans Democratic in statewide elections.
Ms. Hochul was declared the winner Tuesday night just over 1/2 hour after the polls closed. She defeated two challengers, Thomas Suozzi, a former Nassau County Executive, and Jumaane Williams, a former councilman in New York City.
“I’m deeply honored to be the Democratic nominee for Governor of New York,” Ms. Hochul tweeted at 9:51 p.m. “On to November!”
In an acceptance speech, Ms. Hochul said, “To the women of New York, this one’s for you.”
Ms. Hochul will run for governor alongside Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, won won the separate race for the second in command post. He defeated two challengers. Mr. Delgado became the lieutenant governor after Brian Bengamin, who had been picked by Ms. Hochul when she became governor, resigned following an indictment on bribery and fraud charges.
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