PRESS RELEASE
NEW YORK – Today, Cayuga County Conservative Party Chairman David Pappert, Vice Chairman Andrew Sheridan, Treasurer Rick Gagliardi and Secretary Kathy Malenick endorsed Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1) for Governor of New York State and issued the following statement:
“We are making these endorsements now, because the upcoming race for Governor is crucial. For decades outrageous taxing, spending, and borrowing have driven New Yorkers from their homes to lower tax states. Now, with single party control, the Democratic majority has added shocking social policies into the mix, including extremely dangerous reductions in the use of cash bail, and efforts to defund police departments. At the same time they work to allow serious criminals to remain on the street, the Democratic majority does everything possible to limit gun ownership and carry rights for law abiding citizens. Democrats have also implemented heinous abortion laws demonstrating outright hostility to the rights of the unborn.
“At the head of this single party mess sits Andrew Cuomo, a man who ordered Nursing Homes to accept COVID-19 positive residents, likely causing many thousands of preventable deaths, then covering up the deadly results of his order. Add to this his reprehensible personal conduct towards women and staffers and it is easy to see why New York State government is viewed as a joke.
“This must change.
“The most effective way to make this change is by electing Congressman Lee Zeldin as our next Governor. Lee Zeldin is a combat veteran, an accomplished Congressman, and a family man who holds himself to the highest ethical standards. Lee Zeldin is Pro-Life, Pro-Second Amendment, Pro-Law Enforcement, and has the ability to work across the aisle to get common sense reforms working for New York. Very importantly Congressman Zeldin is a proven fund-raiser, and winner, who can make the change New York needs happen.
“We are proud to endorse Lee Zeldin for Governor of New York, and encourage all New Yorkers who know we need a change, to Stand With Lee.”
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About Lee Zeldin
Lee Zeldin was born and raised on Long Island. He grew up in Suffolk County and graduated from William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach, where his identical twin daughters attend school today. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and then his law degree from Albany Law School, becoming New York’s youngest attorney at the time at the age of 23.
Lee spent four years on Active Duty with the U.S. Army after completing ROTC and served in different capacities, including as a Military Intelligence Officer, Prosecutor, and Military Magistrate. In the summer of 2006, while assigned to the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division, Lee deployed to Iraq with an infantry battalion of fellow paratroopers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In 2007, Lee returned to Suffolk County with his family. It was at this time that Lee transitioned from Active Duty to the Army Reserve, where he currently serves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
In 2008, Lee established a successful law practice in Smithtown, NY. Elected to the New York State Senate two years later, in 2010, Lee’s been working hard every day since to keep the promises he made to the hard-working families he represents.
In the State Senate, Lee successfully fought to repeal the MTA Payroll Tax for 80 percent of employers, a job killing tax that was hurting small businesses. Lee led the successful efforts to repeal the Saltwater Fishing License Fee and create the PFC Joseph Dwyer Program, a statewide program in New York to help our returning veterans cope with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Lee also wrote the law that protects our fallen veterans and their families from protests at military burials.
Lee was then elected to the United States Congress in 2014, representing New York’s First Congressional District, and quickly became a leading voice in America on top local, domestic and foreign policy issues.
Lee has secured many key victories for Long Island, which have included among many other successes:
Saving Plum Island, by securing the repeal of a 2008 federal law requiring the island to be sold off to the highest bidder. He also secured funding to repair the historic Plum Island Lighthouse and funding necessary to remediate environmental concerns on the island.
- Delivering a $2 billion Electron Ion Collider project to Brookhaven National Lab.
- Securing $8.3 billion in much needed funding to support treatment, enforcement, and prevention for those affected by the heroin and opioid abuse crisis.
- Working with the Army Corps of Engineers to protect our coastlines, advancing the ambitious $1.5 billion Fire Island to Montauk Point project, in addition to several other vital projects on the north and south shores of Long Island.
- Co-Chairing the Long Island Sound Caucus and delivering vast quantities of funding for the Long Island Sound Program, National Estuary Program and SeaGrant.
- Introducing and passing into law his Adult Day Health Care legislation for disabled veterans and opening a new health care clinic for East End veterans.
- Co-authoring a bipartisan resolution (H.Res. 246) that passed the House opposing the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement.
- Successfully resolving over 17,000 constituent cases in favor of NY-1 residents.