New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Republican Challenger Lee Zeldin Exchange Blows as Candidates Highlight Their Election Attacks

Congressman Lee Zeldin, New York Governor Kathy Hochul's opponent in the governor's campaign, has criticized the governor's COVID-19 policy.

Zeldin accused her of hiding the findings of the state's probe into COVID-19 activities until after the November election. He also took issue with the governor's silence on state nursing facility rules that resulted in patient fatalities.

Challenger Lee Zeldin Criticizes NY Gov. Kathy Hochul

Under the state constitution, a governor can dismiss elected officials such as a district attorney. In the face of constant accusations from the incumbent governor, who claims his conservative record in Congress makes him too radical for New Yorkers, the Republican standard-bearer has stressed a continued spike in violent crime.

Hochul, who took over for the disgraced ex-governor, Andrew Cuomo, who was elected governor of New York in August, has substantial advantages versus Zeldin in the gubernatorial contest, including a seven-to-one money lead after their respective primary races.

In recent days, Zeldin has attempted to gain traction by attacking Hochul on a variety of topics, including increased crime, inflation, state business handed to a campaign supporter, and her use of taxpayer-funded state planes. Hochul, for her part, has attempted to use recent US Supreme Court decisions on gun control and abortion to her benefit.

The governor also attempted to reframe a GOP unity effort in her favor by mimicking a Zeldin announcement depicting campaign appearances with former Republican primary opponents Andrew Giuliani and Rob Astorino. Despite a two-to-one registration advantage for Democrats statewide, New York Republicans are trying to win their first statewide election in two decades, New York Post reported.

Congressman Lee Zeldin Assault

Meanwhile, a man suspected of attempting to stab US Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican candidate for New York governor, at an upstate event was detained and charged with attempted assault.

According to a Monroe County sheriff's spokeswoman, David Jakubonis, 43, was detained after attempting to attack Zeldin and was later charged with attempted assault in the second degree. He was freed without bond. It is unclear whether Jakubonis has an attorney who can speak on his behalf. A message requesting comment was sent at Jakubonis' given phone number.

Jakubonis is an Army soldier who served as a medical laboratory technician in Iraq in 2009. The incident occurred as Zeldin, who is running against incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in November, spoke at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Perinton, a hamlet west of Rochester.

The assailant scaled a modest platform where the congressman spoke to a throng of dozens, flanked by hay bales and American flags. A video released on Twitter shows the two collapsing as others attempt to help.

Photos from the incident show the intruder wielding a pointed metal device fashioned like a cat's head. According to the sheriff's spokeswoman, Deputy Brendan Hurley, the assailant swung the blade at Zeldin's neck and told him, "You're done."

As per Jacob Murphy, a spokeswoman for Zeldin's congressional office, Zeldin suffered only minor injuries as a result of the event. He stated that Zeldin has not lately received any particular threats, as per ABC News.

Ironically, Zeldin was attacked just after discussing how people were fleeing New York for areas further south because they wanted to feel safer than they did in New York, which has witnessed a significant increase in violent crime. Some of it has come from repeat offenders, according to Democratic-led bail reform legislation signed into law by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and took effect in January 2020.

Fortunately, Zeldin was uninjured and continued with his remarks. However, in the hours following the attack, some focused on Zeldin's Democratic opponent, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who not only has repeatedly called Zeldin a "dangerous... far-right extremist," but whose campaign also urged supporters via email to RSVP to Zeldin's upcoming campaign stops, including the one on Thursday where the attack occurred, according to Red State.