Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin's newly announced campaign for governor is already fundraising aggressively in his bid for the GOP nomination contest that is more than a year away. 

Zeldin's campaign a day after announcing his bid said he had raised $1 million toward the effort. The fundraising emails to supporters across the country have not slowed down since then. 

"I’ve heard from New Yorkers from all walks of life that they feel like this is a last stand to save our state, and they’re all in on this campaign,” Zeldin said in a statement.

The money will likely be needed. A statewide campaign is expensive in New York, and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proven to be an adept fundraiser, though the effect of the numerous controversies on his ability to raise cash is not yet clear.

At the same time, Zeldin is running up against an enrollment advantage for Democrats and the need to raise his name identification with voters across the state. 

And the fundraising comes as other Republicans have expressed interested in the nomination, including Rep. Elise Stefanik and Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.