GOP foes for governor spar over crime, affordability, abortion, Trump
Republican candidates for governor of New York, from left, Andrew Giuliani, Harry Wilson, Lee Zeldin and Rob Astorino.
ALBANY — The candidates seeking the Republican nomination for governor in the June 28 primary have focused on rising crime and the rising cost of living in New York. But in campaign stops and in debates they also take positions on abortion and their view of former President Donald Trump as well as the work of the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Each candidate also has argued that he stands the best chance of beating the Democratic nominee in the November general election. They will try to break a 20-year streak of Democrats holding all statewide offices.
Rob Astorino Former Westchester County executive
Crime
Astorino, 55, of South Salem, opposes the “defund police” movement and says police must be supported. But he also says police reforms are needed and more trust must be built between communities and police to avoid flashpoints. He would seek to repeal the Democrats’ 2018 bail law that ended cash bail for misdemeanors and most nonviolent felonies so suspects didn’t languish in jail only because they couldn’t afford bail. Astorino said he would fire Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for his policies of not prosecuting some crimes.
Taxes and the economy
Astorino said taxes must be cut because New Yorkers can’t afford the costs of state and local taxes. He notes he didn’t increase taxes over two terms as Westchester County executive. He said he would promote the green energy industry, including natural gas and wind power to create more jobs and cap state spending. He also would consolidate income tax brackets to reduce taxes and would reduce regulations.
Abortion
Astorino said he is opposed to abortion rights, but says it's unrealistic to believe the State Legislature would repeal them. Instead, he calls for a “reasonable discussion” that could change abortion laws. He opposes late-term abortions if a woman’s health is at risk, calling that too vague a threshold. He also seeks more health care for expectant mothers and more support to provide an alternative to abortion.
Support of Trump
He went further than any of his competitors regarding the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, calling it “a horrible day in our nation’s history” and saying former President Donald Trump “bears some responsibility.” He said protesters broke laws and should be prosecuted. But he said it’s also time for the country to move on.
Electability
Astorino argues that he’s the most electable of the Republicans because he won two terms as county executive in Westchester where Democrats have an even greater enrollment advantage than they do statewide.
Andrew Giuliani Former Trump administration public liaison
Crime
Giuliani, 36, of Manhattan, supports the “broken window” policy of the New York City Police Department under his father, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. That required police to focus on small crimes to try to disrupt or avoid bigger ones. A court found the policy in practice harassed racial and ethnic minorities and violated their constitutional rights. He says he would increase spending to hire more police and try to repeal the Democrats’ bail law. He said he would also fire Bragg.
Taxes and the economy
He says making New York more affordable, including reducing taxes, would be a top priority. Giuliani promises the “highest tax cut and budget cut in the history of our state.” Giuliani also says he would reduce state regulations that can keep businesses from entering New York and keep existing companies from expanding their workforce. He says he would work to stop what he calls a spending frenzy by the State Legislature.
Abortion
Giuliani says he is proudly anti-abortion. In his stump speeches he said his experience as a new father proved to him that his daughter wasn’t just tissue before she was born, but a person.
Support of Trump
He said Trump was “a great president” and hopes he runs again. Giuliani began his association with Trump in the 2016 campaign and became the president’s public liaison. Giuliani, a former pro golfer, was also a frequent golfing partner with Trump.
Electability
Giuliani is the youngest of the candidates with no experience in elected office. He says he has been steeped in New York politics since birth. His father was called “America’s mayor” after the 2001 terrorist attacks for his leadership. Andrew Giuliani says he can make inroads with other New Yorkers fed up with crime and taxes.
Harry Wilson Wall Street business owner specializing in turning around failing companies
Crime
Wilson, 50, of Scarsdale, says he would restore the ability of judges to consider a suspect’s danger to the community before releasing him or her on bail. He also says he would fire Bragg, a college classmate and friend, after the liberal prosecutor said he wouldn’t prosecute some lower level crimes.
Jobs and the economy
Wilson promises “the biggest tax cut in history,” including a 20% cut in state income taxes and property taxes. He said he will restructure state spending to pay for it the way he restructured troubled companies to save jobs and spur businesses in America’s auto industry during the 2018 recession.
Abortion
Wilson is the only one of the GOP candidates who supports abortion rights. He said he doesn’t like allowing late-term abortions, but he won’t spend time fighting it against Democrats who control the Legislature. He said he'd also fire Bragg, a former college classmate.
Support of Trump
Wilson says he’s a “Reagan conservative.” He says that protesters who broke into the U.S. Capitol “broke the law,” but that Trump didn’t invade the Capitol. He said there are some things he agrees with Trump on, while he disagrees with others, but doesn’t go into details, saying issues are more important.
Electability
Wilson, who is using millions of dollars of his own money to fund his campaign, says that as the most moderate of the Republicans, he alone can attract enough Democrats and candidates not enrolled in a party to win. Wilson notes that 2010 he came within 4 percentage points of Democrat Thomas DiNapoli who was running for his first full term as state comptroller.
Lee Zeldin Two-term congressman
Crime
Zeldin, 42, of Shirley, says he would work to repeal the 2019 bail law that eliminates bail for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies. Zeldin says he will restore the power of judges to hold dangerous suspects. He also says he would fire any district attorney who doesn’t prosecute crimes because of a liberal agenda. Zeldin has been an ardent supporter of police on Long Island and nationwide. He also said he’d fire Bragg.
Taxes and the economy
Zeldin promises “the largest tax cut in the history of New York” to help make the state more affordable. He says he would approve natural gas pipelines to bring more energy into New York to help reduce power costs. He says he would reverse New York’s ban on hydrofracking for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale deposit upstate to create jobs and lower energy costs for all.
Abortion
He has told supporters he wants the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion legal nationwide. He says he will seek to require parental consent for minors to get abortion and limit access to late-term abortions.
Support of Trump
=Zeldin was one of Trump’s strongest and most vocal supporters in Congress. Zeldin voted against certifying Trump’s loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election. As for the Jan. 6 insurrection that followed, Zeldin says Trump had told the protesters “to go peacefully and patriotically to the Capitol.” Zeldin has since told reporters that he accepts that Biden is president.
Electability
Zeldin says he most electable because of his background. He says he has wide support upstate and on Long Island among Republicans and is focused on issues — rising crime and taxes — that cuts across political lines. He also served in the State Senate where he sponsored the popular repeal of the commuter payroll tax in the many counties served by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.