Governor's race: Where Hochul, Zeldin stand on the issues
New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Credit: AP/Mary Altaffer
Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, and Republican challenger Rep. Lee Zeldin disagree on a lot of issues.
News conferences, campaign rallies and the candidates’ lone debate make clear the choice for New York governor is not just about abortion rights, bail laws and Donald Trump — even if those have been the dominant ad-campaign topics.
Here are some key issues that have shaped the campaign and help differentiate the candidates:
Hochul: Criticizes Zeldin for being one of the former president’s strongest supporters and voting to overturn the 2020 election amid the riot that took place Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol. Notes that courts have rejected dozens of lawsuits in which Trump allies alleged far-reaching claims of a rigged vote.
Zeldin: Contends Trump is a nonissue for most New York voters and defends his vote against election certification by saying he was objecting to various COVID-19-related voting changes made in 2020. Says he stands by his Jan. 6 vote.
Hochul: Defends the overall 2019 change to the state’s bail law, which eliminated use of bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies, which activists say eliminated a two-tiered justice system for rich and poor. However, she made new changes to the bail law in 2022 to allow judges to consider a defendant’s criminal history and make more guns crimes eligible for bail. Notes crime is rising in many states, including those that have tougher bail laws.
Zeldin: Makes this his top issue and contends less use of bail contributes to rising crime. Says it contributes to New Yorkers’ perception of being less safe in neighborhoods and on mass transit. Vows to use emergency powers to suspend the bail law immediately and force the State Legislature to renegotiate, although some cast doubt on his ability to do that.
Hochul: Favors a ban on assault weapons and strict limits on where someone can carry a concealed weapon. Opposes the arming of schoolteachers. Favors the “red flag” law that can provide a way for authorities to take away weapons from someone who is determined to pose a danger to others.
Zeldin: Opposes assault weapons ban and New York’s strict limits on concealed weapons. Opposes what he calls limits on Second Amendment rights. Favors arming of schoolteachers and opposes the “red flag” law. Says he will seek to remove a liberal Manhattan district attorney whom he says is soft on crime.
Hochul: Favors abortion rights and a state constitutional amendment to protect them. Says that beyond the abortion law, a governor can affect the issue by using leverage in state budget negotiations to impact grants to groups such as Planned Parenthood and for Medicaid funding for abortions.
Zeldin: Opposes abortion rights. Says he will not attempt to overturn New York law but has said it should be rolled back. Says any budget he negotiates likely would have funding for Planned Parenthood. In Congress, he co-sponsors a bill to declare the constitutional right to life begins at conception.
Hochul: Backs previously enacted middle-class tax cuts, pushed through modest property-tax rebate and small reduction in state gasoline taxes. Used budget surplus to boost school aid and state's "rainy day" funds, and offered bonuses for health care workers. Used tax incentives to lure Micron to commit to building a massive computer-chip factory in Syracuse. Hasn't detailed many future proposals.
Zeldin: Promises to cut income and business taxes, as well as estate taxes, but, like Hochul, hasn't offered many details on future proposals. Favors Medicaid cuts and a fuller suspension of gasoline taxes. Wants to jump-start natural-gas drilling and approve more gas pipelines. Wants to reduce regulations he says hurt small businesses.
Hochul: Supports the principle, which would charge motorists higher tolls for driving into parts of Manhattan during certain parts of the day as a way to encourage use of mass transit and reduce gridlock. But has said it won’t happen “over the next year” because of various federal government hurdles.
Zeldin: Opposes congestion pricing. Calls it a government cash grab. Says money for transit repairs and upgrades could be had through better efficiency rather than higher tolls.
Hochul: Has implemented mask and vaccine mandates during her 15-month tenure as governor, though she recently removed them. Says mandates have reduced deaths and hospitalizations.
Zeldin: Promises to abandon any remaining COVID-19 mandates and never impose more. Says: “I will not mandate COVID vaccines for your kids ever.”
Hochul: Backs a ban on “hydrofracking,” a type of drilling for natural gas. Backs the proposed $4.2 billion bond act. Blocked a permit for a major cryptocurrency mine in the Finger Lakes, but has avoided a decision on a proposed two-year moratorium on crypto mining.
Zeldin: Backs hydrofracking and says it would bolster the upstate economy and help energy supply. Champions his support of bills to protect Long Island Sound and the Island’s water supply. Opposes the cryptocurrency moratorium, saying the state shouldn’t be “picking winners and losers” by targeting certain businesses.
Hochul: Negotiated a new stadium deal, which includes about $850 million in taxpayer funding. Says it prevented the team from moving and contends a small-market NFL team needs more assistance than major-market rivals because it earns less in tickets and sponsorships.
Zeldin: Calls it an overly favorable deal to the team and says he’d seek to renegotiate it. Says the threat of the team leaving is overstated. Criticizes the way Hochul sprung the deal on the State Legislature at the last minute of budget negotiations, limiting scrutiny.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, and Republican challenger Rep. Lee Zeldin disagree on a lot of issues.
News conferences, campaign rallies and the candidates’ lone debate make clear the choice for New York governor is not just about abortion rights, bail laws and Donald Trump — even if those have been the dominant ad-campaign topics.
Here are some key issues that have shaped the campaign and help differentiate the candidates:
Donald Trump/Jan. 6 attack
Protesters push through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. Credit: AP/Julio Cortez
Hochul: Criticizes Zeldin for being one of the former president’s strongest supporters and voting to overturn the 2020 election amid the riot that took place Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol. Notes that courts have rejected dozens of lawsuits in which Trump allies alleged far-reaching claims of a rigged vote.
Zeldin: Contends Trump is a nonissue for most New York voters and defends his vote against election certification by saying he was objecting to various COVID-19-related voting changes made in 2020. Says he stands by his Jan. 6 vote.
Bail law/crime
Demonstrators protest New York State's bail reform laws in Times Square in 2020.
Credit: Sipa USA via AP/Gabriele Holtermann-Gorden
Hochul: Defends the overall 2019 change to the state’s bail law, which eliminated use of bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies, which activists say eliminated a two-tiered justice system for rich and poor. However, she made new changes to the bail law in 2022 to allow judges to consider a defendant’s criminal history and make more guns crimes eligible for bail. Notes crime is rising in many states, including those that have tougher bail laws.
Zeldin: Makes this his top issue and contends less use of bail contributes to rising crime. Says it contributes to New Yorkers’ perception of being less safe in neighborhoods and on mass transit. Vows to use emergency powers to suspend the bail law immediately and force the State Legislature to renegotiate, although some cast doubt on his ability to do that.
Guns
New York Police Department Public Affairs officers set up signs reading Gun Free Zone around Times Square, on Aug. 31. Credit: AP/Yuki Iwamura
Hochul: Favors a ban on assault weapons and strict limits on where someone can carry a concealed weapon. Opposes the arming of schoolteachers. Favors the “red flag” law that can provide a way for authorities to take away weapons from someone who is determined to pose a danger to others.
Zeldin: Opposes assault weapons ban and New York’s strict limits on concealed weapons. Opposes what he calls limits on Second Amendment rights. Favors arming of schoolteachers and opposes the “red flag” law. Says he will seek to remove a liberal Manhattan district attorney whom he says is soft on crime.
Abortion
Demonstrators hold signs outside Manhattan federal court on May 14 in Manhattan. Credit: AP/Jeenah Moon
Hochul: Favors abortion rights and a state constitutional amendment to protect them. Says that beyond the abortion law, a governor can affect the issue by using leverage in state budget negotiations to impact grants to groups such as Planned Parenthood and for Medicaid funding for abortions.
Zeldin: Opposes abortion rights. Says he will not attempt to overturn New York law but has said it should be rolled back. Says any budget he negotiates likely would have funding for Planned Parenthood. In Congress, he co-sponsors a bill to declare the constitutional right to life begins at conception.
Economy
Gas prices soared in the spring.
Credit: TNS/Olivier Douliery/AFP
Hochul: Backs previously enacted middle-class tax cuts, pushed through modest property-tax rebate and small reduction in state gasoline taxes. Used budget surplus to boost school aid and state's "rainy day" funds, and offered bonuses for health care workers. Used tax incentives to lure Micron to commit to building a massive computer-chip factory in Syracuse. Hasn't detailed many future proposals.
Zeldin: Promises to cut income and business taxes, as well as estate taxes, but, like Hochul, hasn't offered many details on future proposals. Favors Medicaid cuts and a fuller suspension of gasoline taxes. Wants to jump-start natural-gas drilling and approve more gas pipelines. Wants to reduce regulations he says hurt small businesses.
Congestion pricing
Views of traffic congestion in Manhattan in August. Credit: /Jennifer S. Altman
Hochul: Supports the principle, which would charge motorists higher tolls for driving into parts of Manhattan during certain parts of the day as a way to encourage use of mass transit and reduce gridlock. But has said it won’t happen “over the next year” because of various federal government hurdles.
Zeldin: Opposes congestion pricing. Calls it a government cash grab. Says money for transit repairs and upgrades could be had through better efficiency rather than higher tolls.
COVID-19
People line up outside Grand Central Station for a COVID-19 testing site in December 2021 in Manhattan. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Hochul: Has implemented mask and vaccine mandates during her 15-month tenure as governor, though she recently removed them. Says mandates have reduced deaths and hospitalizations.
Zeldin: Promises to abandon any remaining COVID-19 mandates and never impose more. Says: “I will not mandate COVID vaccines for your kids ever.”
Gas drilling/environmental
Credit: Getty Images/Spencer Platt
Hochul: Backs a ban on “hydrofracking,” a type of drilling for natural gas. Backs the proposed $4.2 billion bond act. Blocked a permit for a major cryptocurrency mine in the Finger Lakes, but has avoided a decision on a proposed two-year moratorium on crypto mining.
Zeldin: Backs hydrofracking and says it would bolster the upstate economy and help energy supply. Champions his support of bills to protect Long Island Sound and the Island’s water supply. Opposes the cryptocurrency moratorium, saying the state shouldn’t be “picking winners and losers” by targeting certain businesses.
Buffalo Bills stadium
Fans outside Highmark Stadium before a pre-season game between the Buffalo Bills and the Green Bay Packers.
Credit: AP/Adrian Kraus
Hochul: Negotiated a new stadium deal, which includes about $850 million in taxpayer funding. Says it prevented the team from moving and contends a small-market NFL team needs more assistance than major-market rivals because it earns less in tickets and sponsorships.
Zeldin: Calls it an overly favorable deal to the team and says he’d seek to renegotiate it. Says the threat of the team leaving is overstated. Criticizes the way Hochul sprung the deal on the State Legislature at the last minute of budget negotiations, limiting scrutiny.
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