Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., on Thursday received an endorsement in his campaign for governor of New York from Andrew Stein, a longtime New York City Democrat who serves in the state Assembly.
Stein wrote in an opinion piece released by the New York Post that he could not support Gov. Kathy Hochul's reelection campaign due to the state Legislature "and a number of prosecutors" who he said "have created a turnstile justice system that's been singularly responsible for an unprecedented increase in violent crime over the last few years."
He also noted that "hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have left the state, taking billions of dollars in tax revenue with them, putting our state at risk of a fiscal crisis."
Stein wrote: "It's not just the high cost of living that's driving New Yorkers from the state — residents also feel unsafe amid rampant violent crime.
"This threat to public safety is directly attributable to Democrats' sweeping police-budget cuts and reckless bail-reform policies, which allow dangerous criminals to go free."
He added, "Instead of addressing this issue head on as violent crime terrorizes our state and city, Hochul has decided to kick the issue down the road until after November's election."
According to Stein, Zeldin "has a plan to end this disastrous revolving-door-justice system," and he "is committed to ending the corrupt culture in our state government" by "establishing term limits, overhauling the Joint Commission on Public Ethics and working to bring accountability and transparency back to state government — something New York desperately needs."
Stein concludes that Zeldin "is the only candidate tough enough … to save New York from complete and total ruin. And that's why he has my vote."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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