© Steve Howe / Observer-Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Syndication: Utica Observer Dispatch
NEW YORK (77WABC) — Republican gubernatorial nominee Rep. Lee Zeldin is calling out New York’s Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul Thursday for not committing to debate him nearly one month after she agreed to face off at least twice ahead of the Nov. 8 election.
“In eight days, we’ll start to see absentee ballots going out,” Zeldin said at a press conference. “Kathy Hochul has been telling you, members of the media, for weeks that she will debate but she still has not yet said where, when or how many.”
Zeldin says he wants to debate the issues — including rising crime, inflation, state oversight over yeshivas and population loss. The GOP nominee has accepted two outstanding invitations form CBS2 and PIX11 to debate Hochul on TV.
The governor has yet to commit to either. Experts say Hochul is following a “Rose Garden” strategy where she limits engagement with her opponent while leveraging official government events alongside her own campaign ads.
