Gov. Kathy Hochul stunningly said she didn’t know why it’s “so important” to lock up criminals when confronted by Republican challenger Lee Zeldin over the state’s controversial bail reform law during their first and only debate Tuesday night.
Zeldin, who’s pledged to declare a crime emergency and suspend cashless bail if elected, brought up the issue midway through the televised face-off.
“My opponent thinks that right now there’s a polio emergency going on but there’s not a crime emergency — different priorities than I’m hearing from people right now,” the outgoing congressman from Long Island said.
“They’re not being represented from this governor — who still, to this moment … hasn’t talked about locking up anyone committing any crimes.”
Hochul responded by saying, “Anyone who commits a crime, under our laws, especially with the changes we made to bail, has consequences.
“I don’t know why that’s so important to you,” the incumbent Democrat added. “All I know is that we could do more.”
Hochul’s startling comments came moments before she refused to answer when Zeldin asked what she would do to address pay-to-play corruption allegations against her and her administration.
Amid what recent polls show has turned into an increasingly tight race, Zeldin said that “all these stories” were among the reasons why Hochul “has lost the trust of so many New Yorkers.”
Zeldin specifically cited the scandal over the $637 million worth of overpriced COVID-19 tests the state bought from a Hochul donor after he hosted a fundraiser for her and “just days later, she suspends unilaterally New York’s competitive bidding laws.”
“This is just one of many examples,” he added.
But when he demanded that Hochul detail the “specific measures” she’d pledge to deal with the allegations, she wouldn’t say.
“I don’t accept the premise. There is no pay-to-play corruption,” Hochul insisted.
“There has never been a quid pro quo, a policy change or decision made because of a contribution.”
Hochul continued, “And the policies are we don’t do it anyhow. So why would I change? We’re going to make sure we have internal controls. We have them now.”
Hochul was also forced to play defense on the $600 million she added to the state budget to help fund a new stadium for her hometown football team, the Buffalo Bills, after Spectrum News host Susan Arbetter questioned whether the state would ever recoup that investment.
“Like Broadway is to New York City, the Buffalo Bills are to western New York,” said Hochul, whose husband is a top exec at the company that runs the concessions at the stadium.
Zeldin pointed out that Hochul surprised fellow Democrats by adding the deal to the budget “at the 11th hour” and vowed to renegotiate the agreement, saying, “We absolutely can have a better deal.”
As he has on the campaign trail, Zeldin focused on surging crime, saying, “I am running to take back our streets and to support unapologetically our men and women in law enforcement” and reiterating his pledge to remove Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg from office over his soft-on-crime policies.
Hochul, meanwhile, appeared to flip-flop on her Monday assertion that a series of “high-profile incidents” had “created a sense of fear in people’s minds.”
“I understand the fear. I walk the streets of New York City every day. I’ve taken the subways. This fear is real,” she said.
Hochul also refused to commit to help pay an estimated $1 billion to house the more than 21,400 migrants who’ve flooded into the city, calling it a “federal problem” and predicting that the cost won’t be that high.
During another key exchange on the subject of mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for students, Zeldin staked out a definitive position while Hochul offered a conditional response.
“Let me be clear to all the parents who are out there. I will not mandate COVID vaccines for your kids. Ever,” Zeldin said.
Hochul, meanwhile, answered the yes-or-no question by saying, “Not at this time.”
“I’m going to talk about parental control over this but I’d also say it’s something that comes down to the Legislature anyhow,” she said.
“The Legislature makes the determination in consultation with health experts for next year’s school year.”
During an especially contentious back-and-forth, Hochul called Zeldin one of former President Donald Trump’s “strongest and most loyal supporters” and highlighted his House votes against certifying President Biden’s electoral victories in Arizona and Pennsylvania.
Zeldin fired back by noting how Hochul, after succeeding ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo last year following his resignation over a sexual harassment scandal, appointed state Sen. Brian Benjamin (D-Manhattan) as her No. 2.
Zeldin called Benjamin “the architect of cashless bail” and referenced his indictment in an alleged campaign finance fraud scheme.
“Yeah, that guy who got arrested and had to resign. That was her first big decision: to make him the lieutenant governor,” he said.
Zeldin appeared highly energized during the debate, offering to “go another hour, if you want,” when one of the moderators, NY1 anchor Errol Louis, said the producer had extended the scheduled 60-minute time slot by “literally another minute or two.”
Hochul, by contrast, stayed silent.
Zeldin sought at least five debates across the state, with two city TV stations — CBS2 and PIX11 — each offering to host a face-off between the candidates.
But Hochul repeatedly refused to commit beyond having a spokesman say she “looks forward to debating” Zeldin, leading him to ask, “What is Kathy Hochul afraid of?”
After Hochul finally agreed last month to just one, Zeldin attacked her as a “coward” and suggested she was “embarrassed” by and “ashamed” of her brief tenure in office since Cuomo resigned over a sexual harassment scandal in August 2021.
“Kathy Hochul is out trying to crawl across the finish line. She’s trying to survive this election,” Zeldin said last week.
Hochul has been dogged by pay-to-play allegations, including the no-bid, $637 million deal under which the state overpaid for COVID-19 test kits resold by New Jersey-based Digital Gadgets, whose founder, Charlie Tebele, held two fundraisers for her.
One took place just four days before Hochul — who also hired Tebele’s son as a campaign worker — issued an emergency order that suspended competitive bidding rules for pandemic-related supplies
Last month, The Post exclusively obtained video of Hochul entering the Upper East Side townhouse of another deep-pocketed donor, Alexander Rovt, who’s chairman of the One Brooklyn Health Systems network.
One Brooklyn got bailed out by the state in April, and in July was revealed to be in line to potentially form a $50 million partnership with the NewYork-Presbyterian network under a plan hatched by Hochul’s administration.
Meanwhile, Zeldin — who’s trailed Hochul in the polls by as much as 24 percentage points — began closing the gap last month as the race entered its final weeks, with one Democratic source recently likening her campaign to “a hot mess on the best of days.”
On Oct. 15, the Real Clear Politics website changed its ranking of the Nov. 8 election from “Leans Dem” to “Toss Up,” one day after Democratic polling company Schoen Cooperman Research said Hochul’s lead had shrunk to just 6 points.
On Friday, Republican polling company co/efficient said its latest survey showed the race was a dead heat, with Zeldin holding a razor-thin edge over Hochul, 45.6% to 45.3%.
The remainder of those polled were still undecided.
The shift came as Zeldin hammered Hochul over surging crime and the state’s controversial 2019 bail reform law while she ran ads attacking him over his opposition to abortion and his ties to Trump.
Last week, Hochul’s campaign belatedly pivoted to running ads about public safety, which surveys have consistently shown to be a top concern among voters, along with inflation and the economy.
