NEW YORK – This afternoon I voted for Congressman Lee Zeldin in the Republican primary for governor in the Empire State. I was proud of it and was lucky to have chosen from several promising and noteworthy candidates.
Former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino will be on today’s vote. He’s a solid conservative who won two terms in a heavily Democratic suburban community north of Gotham City. Astorino is wise, well-spoken and effective in appealing to Latino voters. I have spoken to and met him several times and have always found him to be kind, considerate and considerate attractive.
Andrew Giuliani will also face GOP voters in the primaries. AND expected him as a daddy’s boy candidate, like George W. Bush, who won the White House to impress his father. But former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s son appears to be more than just Andrew “W.” Giuliani. He’s a much better opponent on the stump than I imagined. His political experience in President Donald J. Trump’s White House appears impressive. His program includes the delightful slogan “Make New York Great Again.”
So how did I choose between these three candidates?
First, I ignored Harry Wilson, the self-funded interloper who worked in the Obama-Biden White House. It’s a deal killer.
Second, I applied William F. Buckley’s axiom: Right-wing voters should vote for the most conservative candidate likely to win.
In that sense, Zeldin, of Long Island, seems most likely to defeat grumpy, far-left Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. She is Andrew Cuomo, minus the sexual misconduct and warmth.
Zeldin has been fighting Democrats for seven years general elections. He won the last six such contests after losing the 2008 House race to Democrat Tim Bishop – 41.6% for Zeldin and 58.4% for Bishop.
Zeldin easily won a New York State Senate seat in 2010, winning 57.1%, in the face of nationwide revulsion from Obama and ObamaCare. In 2012, when Obama easily defeated Republican Mitt Romney, Zeldin retained his seat in Albany, winning 55.7% of the vote.
Zeldin won Bishop’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014: 54.4% to 45.6%. He defended it in three more series, scoring 58.2% in 2016, 51.5% in 2018 and 54.9% in 2020.
Even when Democrat Joe Biden garnered more votes than Republican President Donald J. Trump two Novembers ago, Zeldin won 205,715 votes, a solid base for a statewide victory over a corrupt, extreme and exhausted New York Democratic Party.
While Zeldin is a few shades more moderate than many of my GOP fire-breathing colleagues, and I would prefer, he was approved by the Buckleyesque Conservative Party and no less than Congressman Jim Jordan (R, Ohio), a right-wing firebrand and No. 1. the most conservative member of Congress rated by the American Conservative Union – whenever.
“Lee Zeldin is a conservative and an Army veteran who believes New York deserves better…better than Cuomo’s corruption, lies and failed policies,” Jordan said. “Lee is a proven leader who has dedicated his life to service and he certainly has no intention of stopping now. In the face of Cuomo’s failures, Lee is fighting for New Yorkers and doing what he must to save his state.”
While Astorino’s conservative street cred is undeniable, his voting record lacks luster.
Like Zeldin, Astorino faced Democrats for seven November. Of these, he won three races and lost four, including the last three races in a row.
After winning a seat in the Westchester County Legislature in 2003 with 52.3%, he lost his bid for Westchester County Executive two years later with only 41.8%. Astorino won the position in 2009 with 56.9% and retained it in 2013 with 56.0%.
Pretty!
Unfortunately, Astorino stumbled in 2014 when he ran for governor despite the ticket of Democrats Andrew Cuomo and (current incumbent) Kathy Hochul. Astorino received 40.3% compared to Cuomo-Hochul’s 54.3%.
Astorin fell 43.4% to 56.5% when he faced Democrat George Latimer in 2017 for his former position as Westchester County executive. He also missed in 2020, when he won 48.1% and Democrat Peter Harckham earned 51.9%, returning the latter to the state Senate.
Despite all the positives, Astorino’s string of losses does not inspire confidence, even in a potentially epic year for Republicans – assuming we all work demanding to win.
As for Andrew Giuliani, he has never run for office. He has many years ahead of him to present himself to voters again.
Lee Zeldin is astute, tough, and as conservative as you can be in a state that isn’t exactly Mississippi or Wyoming. He is the GOP’s best candidate to defeat abrasive socialist Kathy Hochul and then give Albany the colonic shot it so desperately needs.
Manhattan-based Fox News contributor Deroy Murdock is a seasoned conservative activist.
