Republican Party officials gathered in Albany for a second time Monday to screen candidates for 2022’s race for governor. Lee Zeldin is now being called the presumptive nominee.
The state committee says a straw poll among attendees showed 85 percent favor Long Island Congressman Zeldin, with 5 percent backing former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. 10 percent abstained.
The potential field also includes Andrew Giuliani.
On Twitter, Astorino, the 2014 nominee, dismissed the straw poll and said he is the strongest candidate to face Governor Andrew Cuomo – a Democrat who wants to seek a fourth term next year.
The voters, not the party insiders will decide who the GOP candidate is in next June’s primary. The early straw poll is meaningless and eventually I’ll be the straw that breaks Cuomo’s back next November, and the one who’ll rescue and rebuild our state.
— Rob Astorino (@RobAstorino) June 28, 2021
Zeldin has been locking up local support a year out from the primary. George Pataki in 2002 was the last Republican to win a statewide election in New York.
