ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — As New York Gov. Kathy Hochul faced her GOP rival, U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, in the only televised gubernatorial debate on Tuesday, the focus was on the crime controversy, abortion and a deadly uprising in the US Capitol.
Khachul called Zeldin an “election denier” and a “climate change denier” in an attempt to tie him to Trump, who enjoyed little support in New York.
“In Lee Zeldin’s world, you overturn an election you don’t agree with,” Hachul said.
Zeldin voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential elections in Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged sparked anger among supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in an attempt to violently block Democrat Joe Biden’s victory.
Zeldin did not directly answer yes or no when asked by moderator Susan Arbetter, host of Spectrum News’ state politics show “Capital Tonight,” whether he would have voted against the re-certification of the results.
Instead, he said he wants to focus on the future and fight for voter ID laws to protect the integrity of elections.
Khachul also asked Zeldin, “Is Donald Trump a great president? Yes or no?”
Zeldin praised Trump’s record on policies ranging from Israel to US border policy to pandemic containment.
And when asked whether he would agree with the election results if he lost, Zeldin answered: “Well, first of all, losing is not an option. Second, playing along, of course, to your hypothetical question.’
Spectrum News NY1 political anchor Errol Lewis moderated the discussion.
Hachul, the state’s former lieutenant governor who took over after her predecessor, Andrew Cuomo, resigned to avoid possible impeachment, enjoys a significant lead over Zeldin in most votes this year.
But Zeldin remains a contender, drawing support from wide swaths of New York state. Some recent polls suggest that the gap between the candidates may be narrowing.
On Tuesday, Zeldin accused Hachul of not taking seriously New Yorkers’ concerns about subway crime and hate crimes against the Jewish and Asian-American communities.
He also argued that liberal opposition to natural gas drilling and new pipelines in New York is hurting the state’s economy.
“You are poorer and less safe because of Kathy Hachul and extreme politics,” Zeldin said, adding, “You deserve better.”
Both before and after the reforms, only a small fraction of people released pending trial—less than 1%—were rearrested for violent crimes.
Hachul noted that other cities and states without similar cash bail laws have seen a spike in crime since 2020.
This story has been corrected to reflect that Hachul took over after the resignation of her predecessor, not her successor.
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