It couldn’t have been more clear why Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) didn’t want to face off against Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) Tuesday night. The Republican congressman dominated the debate, and Hochul clearly wasn’t prepared for such a formidable challenger.
Polls have tightened in the race for governor of New York, and, should Zeldin emerge victorious, there is one moment of the debate that pundits will point to as the moment that clinched it for him.
When Zeldin brought up the state’s controversial bail reform law, Hochul shockingly said she didn’t know why it’s “so important” to lock up criminals.
“My opponent thinks that right now there’s a polio emergency going on but there’s not a crime emergency — different priorities than I’m hearing from people right now,” Zeldin said. “They’re not being represented from [sic] this governor — who still, to this moment…hasn’t talked about locking up anyone committing any crimes.”
“Anyone who commits a crime, under our laws, especially with the changes we made to bail, has consequences,” Hochul retorted. “I don’t know why that’s so important to you.”
Kathy Hochul's response to me tonight when I spoke about how we need to lock up criminals:
"I don’t know why that's so important to you"?
NYers are getting beaten, slashed, stabbed, and pushed in front of subway cars every day, yet @KathyHochul still can't address crime in NY. pic.twitter.com/rXvGH6XuKd
— Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) October 26, 2022
Imagine being the sitting governor of New York, where crime is out of control, and you don’t know why the issue of crime is “so important.” She ought to have been better prepared to address this issue.
Related: Lee Zeldin Annihilates Kathy Hochul’s Record on Crime
After having a solid lead for months, the race has become extremely competitive in recent weeks as Hochul’s record on crime has come under scrutiny. Hochul clearly knows that Zeldin’s competitiveness in this race is largely due to the issue of crime, but she is so beholden to the radical left that she can’t comprehend why holding criminals accountable for their actions is such a big issue.
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