The editorial board for the New York Times has come out in support of Democratic governor Kathy Hochul while criticizing her Republican opponent Lee Zeldin for his “loyalty to Trumpism.”
On Saturday, the board wrote an opinion blaming the “unusually tight” New York gubernatorial campaign on the high cost of living, increasing crime rates, and rampant inflation. The article said that Zeldin, a congressman from Long Island, is a Trump supporter who doesn’t accept the results of the 2016 election.
As a regular New Yorker worried about his work, his family, and the rising cost of petrol, he might easily be mistaken for the moderate he represents. A person “who wants to shake up Albany and get things done,” as described by The New York Times. Many Republican governors and mayors of New York, from George Pataki to Nelson Rockefeller, have struck a good balance between the needs of the state and the city’s residents. That Mr. Zeldin stands out from the norm is an understatement.
The board said, “He has frequently favored Trumpism over his oath.” This infringement of his promise to safeguard American democracy and the Constitution.
The Times cited text conversations sent and received between Zeldin and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on January 6 that the investigating House Committee released on the same day to back up its assertion. Zeldin gave Meadows advice on how to voice electoral concerns the day before Biden launched his candidacy for 2020.
As the board put it, Zeldin “is ineligible for the job he seeks owing to his ideas and actions after the 2020 election.” In the next midterm elections, people around the country will be polled on issues as weighty as truthfulness, morality, the importance of the rule of law, and the viability of democracy itself. They are just like every other New Yorker.
The Times has long been a fan of Hochul. They’ve recently been especially effusive in their praise for her work on climate change, abortion rights, healthcare, and collaboration with New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
As the New York Times puts it, “Ms. Hochul has demonstrated a steady, cooperative, and focused hand amid the turbulence of the times.” That’s due to a short temper and a rushed schedule. It’s also indicative of a leader focused on the long term, seeking answers to problems like the state’s economic headwinds rather than being sidetracked by short-term political squabbles.
Hochul was inaugurated as governor of New York in August 2021 after Andrew Cuomo resigned in the wake of the COVID-19 nursing home scandals and allegations of sexual misconduct.