Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Thursday endorsed Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin's campaign for governor, calling it a "historic opportunity" the state. 

"This historic American state can finally get a leader who will lower its record-high taxes, who is small-business oriented, who will create jobs, and who stands with police!" Gingrich said in a statement. "That’s why I am proud to wholeheartedly support Lee in his mission to Save New York once and for all. This patriot, veteran, proven leader, family man, and lifelong New Yorker has been working tirelessly to WIN next year, traveling all across the state to every single county over and over again.”

Gingrich served as the speaker of the House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999 and ran for the Republican nomination for president in 2012. 

Zeldin, a Long Island House member, has locked up the endorsements of most of the Republican county leaders in New York and has been bestowed the title of "presumptive nominee" by the state Republican committee after winning a straw poll this summer. 

But he faces several rivals next June for the nomination, including former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, former Trump White House aide Andrew Giuliani and activist Derrick Gibson.