Hochul, Zeldin spar in debate for NY governor race
STORY: Zeldin, a congressman from Long Island, has made addressing crime and violence a key point of his campaign, while Hochul focused on attacking Zeldin's ties to Republican former U.S. President Donald Trump and warning that Zeldin would roll back abortion rights in New York if elected.
During the debate, Zeldin said he would not change the codified New York state law that allows abortion despite this year's federal Supreme Court ruling, commonly referred to as the "Dobbs" case, that abortion is not a right.
But Hochul called him out on his anti-abortion record. "You are the only person standing on this stage whose name right now, not in years past, but right now is on a bill called Life Begins at Conception. You did that now. So I don't know how you think that people are not going to notice your past record," Hochul said.
The state's majority Democratic electorate has not chosen a Republican governor since 2002. Hochul is currently projected to win, but recent polling suggests Zeldin is gaining on Hochul.
