Lee Zeldin, at the RNC, contemplates political future after Nov. 5

MILWAUKEE — Former Long Island Congressman Lee Zeldin is scheduled to speak at Wednesday’s Republican National Convention, an appearance that comes as the former gubernatorial candidate weighs his next steps in politics.

Zeldin’s next move has become a point of discussion among New York delegates gathered for the convention — despite his 2022 loss to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Zeldin, speaking to Newsday as he made the rounds of the RNC, said he was focused first on electing former President Donald Trump in November and sidestepped questions about whether he is considering a second run for the governor’s office.

“I'm focused on Nov. 5,” Zeldin said, referencing Election Day. “The Nov. 6 decisions I'll save for Nov. 6.”

Many in the Republican Party credit him with helping increase GOP turnout that boosted New York House Republican candidates as they flipped six congressional districts won by Joe Biden in 2020, including the 1st Congressional District seat won by Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Amityville) and the 4th Congressional District seat won by Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-Island Park).

Zeldin lost to Hochul by 6.4 percentage points in one of the closest New York gubernatorial races in decades, leading some to wonder if he would try again in 2026.

State GOP Chairman Ed Cox told Newsday he believes Trump will likely tap Zeldin for a post should he win against Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee. Cox said a Trump victory could also factor into Zeldin’s decision, because 2026 will be a midterm election year and the party in power historically loses support in state and local races.

“He’s got a lot of possibilities,” Cox said. “Obviously, he had a good run for governor. He would deserve another."

Cox said the outcome of this year's election and the performance of Trump and Republicans in New York will inform Zeldin's thinking on his next steps. 

"If things are really going the right way, as I think they will in New York, he could very well run for governor, that would be a very logical thing for him," Cox said, adding Zeldin could be given a cabinet post "because he has really worked hard for President Trump.” 

Suffolk Republican Committee Chairman Jesse Garcia said “selfishly” he hoped Zeldin would run for governor, but he believes if Trump wins, Zeldin, a Trump loyalist who served on his first impeachment defense team, would end up working for Trump in some capacity.

“There’s no denying there was a Zeldin factor that helped Republicans in '22,” Garcia said. “I always want Lee to be in New York, but I trust his instincts, and he’ll know what’s best.”

After losing to Hochul, Zeldin formed the Leadership America Needs political action committee last March, aimed at supporting Republican candidates. The committee has raised $1.2 million as of May 31, according to the latest financial report filed with the Federal Election Commission.

The committee has spent $1 million between March 7, 2023, and May 23, according to FEC filings. The PAC has donated heavily to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s Grow the Majority PAC, the New York Republican Committee and the congressional campaign of Alison Esposito, Zeldin’s former running mate for lieutenant governor, who is now running for an upstate House seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan.

Zeldin has spent the past few days in Milwaukee talking up Trump and other hot-button conservative issues to various groups, including the Illinois GOP delegation on Tuesday morning, and hosting a reception for New York delegates alongside athletes Enes Kanter Freedom and Riley Gaines, who are both vocal opponents of allowing transgender individuals to compete in sports.

His convention address is expected to focus on U.S. foreign policy and comes after Zeldin was tapped to speak at the 2020 convention, where he spoke from a Westhampton Beach Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in support of the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Underscoring his status in Trump’s orbit, Zeldin watched Tuesday’s convention speeches from the VIP suite alongside Trump and presumptive vice-presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.

Zeldin’s frequent appearances on Fox News and other conservative media outlets have made him a familiar face to Trump supporters.

As Zeldin arrived at a news conference just outside of the Fiserv Forum on Tuesday, two conventiongoers snapped selfies next to him.

Frank Holcomb of Gadsden, Alabama, and Wanda Kiiskila, of Northern Michigan, said they knew Zeldin from his media appearances and considered him a “straight shooter.”

Asked what they thought Zeldin should do next, the friends were split.

“He'd be better served straightening out New York, I'm guessing,” Holcomb said.

Kiiskila said if Trump wins, she thought Zeldin should work for the administration: “We need to clean house, and that’s a first step.”

By Laura Figueroa Hernandez

laura.figueroa@newsday.com@Laura_Figueroa

Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.