Opinion | The Times Endorses Kathy Hochul for Governor of New York

Ms. Hochul has been a steadfast defender of robust gun legal guidelines. After the Supreme Courtroom struck down the state’s regulation on concealed-carry restrictions, she quickly mobilized the Legislature to draft new laws.

None of that is to recommend that Ms. Hochul doesn’t nonetheless have work to do as governor. Even with a Democratic majority within the State Legislature, change has been sluggish, and public security, specifically, has risen to the highest of many citizens’ issues. In New York Metropolis, crime general is up about one-third to date this 12 months from 2019 ranges.

Ms. Hochul has not articulated a plan enough to deal with the state’s housing disaster. We’d additionally like her to set a better commonplace for ethics in Albany — her choice to simply accept marketing campaign donations from people who sit on state boards and firm executives who have business before the state has been significantly disappointing. So, too, is her lack of transparency across the state price range course of. These practices are enterprise as common in Albany, however Ms. Hochul has an opportunity to lift the bar.

Mr. Zeldin, then again, has referred to as the Supreme Courtroom’s choice to overturn Roe v. Wade “a victory for all times, for household, for the Structure, and for federalism” — a place misaligned with a overwhelming majority of New Yorkers. In Congress, he voted for legislation to ban abortions after 20 weeks with few exceptions.

He has one of many worst environmental data of any member of Congress from New York, in keeping with the League of Conservation Voters, and would reverse the state’s ban on fracking. As a state senator, he voted against the 2011 Marriage Equality Act, which legalized homosexual marriage.

What’s worse, Mr. Zeldin has embraced the conspiracy theories and lies surrounding the 2020 presidential election. Dozens of court docket instances in a number of states have discovered that there was nearly no fraud in that election. When requested if he accepts these conclusions, Mr. Zeldin instructed this editorial board in an interview that “none of us at this desk know” the extent of the fraud. However, the truth is, we do.

Mr. Zeldin performed an energetic function in makes an attempt by Donald Trump and his allies to undermine American democracy. In accordance with proof shared with the Home choose committee on the Jan. 6 assault, Mr. Zeldin despatched textual content messages on the day earlier than the election was referred to as for Joe Biden to Mr. Trump’s chief of employees, suggesting “concepts” for how you can use unsubstantiated allegations about voting irregularities. Hours after the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, Mr. Zeldin voted towards certifying presidential election leads to states that Mr. Trump misplaced, though he said to this board that he by no means claimed that President Biden’s victory was illegitimate.

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