Lee Zeldin, eastern Long Island's four-term representative in Congress, has begun his New York gubernatorial campaign strong, raising over $4 million in all, with over a third of the total coming from out-of-state donors.
As of the July filing with the New York Board of Elections, Mr. Zeldin had received more than 3,000 contributions, with out-of-state donations adding up to $1.5 million. Most of those donations came from either suburban or rural areas around the country rather than from cities.
Judith Hope, a Democratic activist and a former East Hampton Town supervisor, called it "an impressive financial showing." The number of out-of-state contributions Mr. Zeldin has received is "not normal," she said, especially for a Republican running for governor in a blue state like New York. She attributed it to forethought, saying Mr. Zeldin had started running for governor "the minute he got elected to Congress," which allowed him to build a highly effective fund-raising setup.
Mr. Zeldin was first elected to office as a New York State senator in 2010. Four years later, he ran successfully to represent the First Congressional District in the House, unseating Tim Bishop. The chairman of the state G.O.P. committee, Nick Langworthy, has called Mr. Zeldin the presumptive Republican gubernatorial nominee.
"If you have a business being crushed by crazy policies like high taxation, out-of-control crime, and Covid restrictions, then you want a governor that will help your business," said Manny Vilar, chairman of the East Hampton Town Republican Committee.
Mr. Zeldin has been far outperforming other Republican candidates running for governor: Rob Astorino, a former Westchester County Executive, Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Lewis County Sheriff Mike Carpinelli, and Derrick Gibson, a business owner. According to the July board of elections filing, Mr. Astorino had 475 donations, Mr. Giuliani about 400, and Sheriff Carpinelli 85. There was no record of support for Mr. Gibson. Mr. Zeldin's 859 out-of-state donations far outnumbered Mr. Giuliani's 161, Mr. Astorino's 50, and Sheriff Carpinelli's 6.
Mr. Zeldin's vote to overturn the 2020 presidential election, said Ms. Hope, raised his profile among right-wing voters, as did his vote against creating a committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. A leading supporter of former President Donald Trump, Mr. Zeldin appeared frequently on Fox News during the Trump administration, putting his face in front of about 5.5 million viewers a week. In the last two months, he has been a guest on one or another of Fox's cable news shows at least 10 times.
While Ms. Hope suggested that his supporters expect Mr. Zeldin to pursue Trump-like policies, Mr. Vilar said his appeal was bipartisan. Mr. Zeldin "puts parties aside and is interested in doing what best serves his constituents," Mr. Vilar said.
Mr. Langworthy, the state G.O.P. chairman, observed on the cable television program "Capital Tonight" that Mr. Zeldin has "campaigned in all 62 counties, in some counties as many as six times. I've never really seen a candidate go with a rapid pace that Lee Zeldin set in this process. He just set himself above the other candidates, and that's why he is so successful."
"We have a presumed nominee, and that nominee is Lee Zeldin," he added. "I expect he will be the formally nominated candidate."
Should Mr. Zeldin have challengers, a primary would take place in June.
The congressman will likely receive a lot more support in the months to come, Ms. Hope predicted, calling him "the darling for the right-wingers and conservatives." Mr. Vilar agreed, saying that he doesn't "see things slowing down." Mr. Zeldin's message, he said, is "right on point; he can hit all of the bread-and-butter issues."
"He doesn't leave any stone unturned," Mr. Vilar said.
Mr. Zeldin could face Gov. Kathy Hochul -- who Ms. Hope believes will be "a very solid winning candidate" -- in 2022. There are, however, other Democrats who are considering a race, including Alessandra Biaggi, a state senator from Westchester County, and the state attorney general, Letitia James.
