Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi on Thursday released the first television ad of his campaign for governor. Gov. Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, highlighted still more endorsements. And Rep. Lee Zeldin criticized an aspect of her state budget plan.
Here's a roundup of today's campaign news.
Suozzi ad says he'd remove DAs
Rep. Tom Suozzi's first ad of his campaign for governor takes a topical approach: He pledges to use the power of the governor to remove local district attorneys if they do not prosecute crimes.
The ad comes as the new Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, has said his office will reduce some criminal charges as a way of alleviating the city's jail population. The ad from Suozzi highlights a broader theme he has been hitting on for much of his campaign: public safety.
"Our families need to be protected from rising crime. That’s just common sense," Suozzi said in the ad. "But the Manhattan DA is actually proposing to downgrade armed robbery to a misdemeanor and to stop prosecuting resisting arrest. And that makes no sense."
The ad is part of a six-figure ad buy and will air in the downstate media market.
Rail workers union for Hochul
Gov. Kathy Hochul's election was backed by the Association of Commuter Rail Employees, giving her yet another nod from organized labor.
The union represents 2,000 operating craft employees at the MTA Metro-North Railroad.
“I am incredibly grateful to receive this endorsement from the Association of Commuter Rail Employees,” she said. “Our transportation workers keep New York moving and their efforts benefit our commuters and economy alike. I look forward to working together to protect good-paying union jobs and invest in the safe, modern, and resilient infrastructure that every New Yorker deserves."
Zeldin knocks TAP for people in prison
The governor's $216 billion budget re-introduces access to the state's Tuition Assistance Program to people who are in prison. The move is meant to reduce recidivism and help them get and keep a job upon release.
But Republican candidate for governor Lee Zeldin blasted the proposal in a statement, calling it unfair to working families.
“New York families throughout our state have worked hard, followed the rules, and fought to provide a better life for their family. Oftentimes, this involves saving up everything they can to send their children off to college, and New York’s Tuition Assistance Program has given many families the resources they need to make ends meet and make that dream a reality," Zeldin said. "If Albany wants to make changes to this program, it must be targeted to these everyday, law-abiding New Yorkers who don’t quite make the cut under the current rules."
Original source can be found here.
