Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin released his first TV ad to air statewide as a part of the general election in a seven-figure ad buy, called “Take Back Our Streets,” in which he blames New York’s increase in crime rights on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration.
“In Kathy Hochul’s New York, crime is out of control. We must FIRE Hochul, TAKE BACK our streets, and SAVE our state,” Zeldin tweeted with a link to the new ad.
According to a recent poll by the Trafalgar Group, the incumbent governor had a four point lead on Zeldin with 47.8 percent of people voting in her favor and 43.4 percent for Zeldin, with a 2.9 percent margin of error.
There has been a large spending gap between the two candidates. According to filings in July, Hochul reported $11.7 million in the bank, while Zeldin had $1.57 million, by comparison. However a super political action committee called Save Our State, has recently secured a $1 million donation, including a $500,000 contribution from Estée Lauder heir Ronald Lauder and $250,000 from Venture capitalist Howard Cox, to fund ads for Zeldin’s Campaign, such as “ Take Back Our Streets.”
The ad includes 13 clips of people getting attacked by criminals, including burglaries, an elder being attacked, and the use of firearms. Screams echo through the footage, as a foreboding voice says, “ you’re looking at actual violent crimes caught on camera in Kathy Hochul’s New York and it’s getting much worse on Kathy Hochul’s watch, on November 8th vote like your life depends on it, it just might.”
Of the 13 video clips, six were taken from attacks that occurred when Hochul was lieutenant governor, generating some backlash against Zeldin, while the clip of the elderly man being assaulted was traced back to an incident in Oakland, California. This clip will be removed, but the others don’t change Hochul’s involvement in the treatment of New York, according to Zeldin’s campaign team.
“It’s time our families feel safe again,” Zeldin says.
