Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin recently announced that he would be running for governor of New York in the 2022 elections and officially challenging the three-term democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo. In a series of tweets, Zeldin talked about why Cuomo’s gotta go and how to save the state from Cuomo’s million-dollar book deals, coverups, abuse, and self-dealing.
“At the helm of NY’s downfall is Andrew Cuomo, whose deadly nursing home order & cover-up is part of a long line of scandals, lies, and harassment. Cuomo has abused the power & trust granted to him & it’s time for him to immediately exit stage left. I’m ready to go all-in on this mission and bring New York back from the brink and return it to glory,” Rep. Zeldin wrote.
Rep. Zeldin included a New York Post article in his Twitter thread that talked about the plummeting quality of life in New York City as taxes were rising. According to an annual Unacast study, about 70,000 people left the metropolitan region between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 7, 2020, resulting in roughly $34 billion in lost income. Vacancies rose and rents dropped between February and July in high-end neighborhoods, but rents continued to rise in more affordable neighborhoods.
Zeldin has been a four-term Congressman who represents the eastern half of New York’s Long Island. He spent four years on active duty with the Army and was first elected to represent the state’s 1st Congressional District in 2014. He has been a strong Republican ally to former President Trump and was highly praised by Trump’s senior adviser Jason Miller, who believes Zeldin will do well in upstate New York and has his full support. Rep. Zeldin even met with former president Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort last month.
“Zeldin believes in the rule of law, restoring New York’s economy, and he’ll fight the one-party corruption in Albany that is causing so many New Yorkers to flee the state,” Miller said.
The New York Conservative Party Chair Jerry Kassar had also been urging Zeldin to run for quite some time, saying that there is a great interest within the party and that he would perform well in Trump-strong areas within New York City like the 11th Congressional District. “They like his background, love his record in Congress, and they are enthusiastic for him to make a final decision and go forward, Kassar adds.
Former Trump aide Andrew Giuliani, the son of Rudy Giuliani, also said he would consider a run for governor of New York next year. He said there was a great opportunity for Republicans to take back New York and slammed Gov. Cuomo for his criminal politics and tax hikes that would drive more New Yorkers out of the state. He said there needs to be a governor who is going to encourage people to come to New York – not leave.
On top of everything else, Gov. Cuomo has avoided getting impeached at all costs by finally announcing a deal on the state’s overdue budget, which includes $4 billion in tax hikes and a $212 billion spending plan. But two Democratic mayoral candidates, Andrew Yang and Ray McGuire, have criticized the budget and warned against tax hikes that could drive more residents out of the city and into lower-tax states and cities.
New York has turned into a city of crushing taxes, lost jobs, and rising crime under a radical left leadership. But Gov. Cuomo, specifically, is to blame for a lot of New York’s downfall in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. His deadly nursing home orders and the coverup were enough to conclude a long line of lies and scandals in New York City. Cuomo’s term is just about up.