Rep. Lee Zeldin took an aggressive approach as the the front-runner in the first, feisty debate of New York’s Republican primary race for governor, batting back a barrage of attacks on Monday night by conjuring Trump-like nicknames for his rivals.
Zeldin, a Long Island lawyer who leads in opinion polls in the race, was almost immediately smacked by broadsides from Rob Astorino, the party’s nominee for governor in 2014, and Harry Wilson, a businessman.
Wilson called Zeldin a “Cuomo clone,” saying the congressman displayed fealty to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo during his time in the state Senate. Astorino agreed, saying Zeldin “sided” with Cuomo and “blew it” in Albany
Former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, far left, businessman Harry Wilson, second from left, Suffolk County Congressman Lee Zeldin, second from right, and Andrew Giuliani, far right, son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, face off during New York's Republican gubernatorial debate at the studios of CBS2 TV, Monday, June 13, 2022, in New York. Giuliani participated via virtual broadcast after he was blocked from the studios for not meeting vaccine requirements. (Bebeto Matthews/)
Wilson has said he did not vote for Trump in 2020, writing in Nikki Haley. A Rolex wrist watch belonging to Astorino was once seized by the FBI in a probe that did not lead to charges against the politician.
During one particularly heated exchange, Wilson — a relatively moderate millionaire — said Zeldin had asked him in the winter to run on his ticket.
Zeldin said Wilson was lying. “That is a zero percent chance,” Zeldin said.
“He’s scared — he’s a broken candidate,” Wilson said of Zeldin. “His campaign is disintegrating.”
Zeldin repeatedly countered that Wilson should be running in the Democratic primary against Gov. Hochul, not in the Republican race. “You’re on the wrong debate stage, man!” Zeldin said.