September 21, 2022
NEW YORK – Today, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1) responded to a statement today from Governor Kathy Hochul that she only wants to do one General Election debate towards the end of October. Absentee ballots start going out in two days on September 23, 2022, over a month before the October 25, 2022, date that Hochul wants to have just a single General Election debate with Spectrum/NY1.
Congressman Zeldin previously accepted the first two debate requests he received from CBS2 and PIX11, both of which Hochul is totally blowing off with her announcement this afternoon trying to get away with just one. Being that Hochul is trying to play these games with the media and New York voters, Congressman Zeldin is proposing that CBS2 and PIX11 schedule debates anyways and if Hochul is a no-show, then the debate can just proceed without her and with an empty podium.
“This is absolutely unacceptable just how much contempt Kathy Hochul has towards New Yorkers that she is trying to pathetically get away with just one General Election debate over a month after absentee ballots start going out. We should have a live, televised debate right now,” said Congressman Zeldin. “Voters should have the opportunity to hear where the candidates stand before they vote, not after. Meanwhile, the NYC media market is not the only media market in the state. It is important to have debates throughout the state to focus on issues specific to that particular region. Scaredy Kat Hochul can run but she can’t hide from her absolutely abysmal record on the issues most important to New Yorkers, including rising crime, skyrocketing cost of living, and an eroding quality of education. Even in the Democratic Party primary, Hochul had multiple debates! She owes it to the voters as part of this process to have multiple debates throughout the state about the issues most important to them. The fact that Kathy Hochul believes New Yorkers don’t deserve that should tell them all they need to know when they’re headed to the ballot box on November 8th.”
