Crime and public safety concerns facing voters have once again emerged as the predominant issue for both Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and her Republican challenger Rep. Lee Zeldin as the campaign enters its final weeks, and early voting is set to begin on Saturday.
Issues over crime are being thrust back to the forefront even against the backdrop of a faltering economy, concerns voters from both parties have identified over "threats to democracy" and a months-long focus by Democrats on abortion rights.
On Friday, Hochul released a new TV ad representing a tonal shift, touting her efforts to curtail the flow of illegal guns in New York. The TV spot was released days after Hochul appeared at the State Police graduation in Albany to pledge to add more troopers.
"You deserve to feel safe, and as your governor, I won’t stop working until you do," Hochul said in the ad.
Over the weekend, Hochul appeared with New York City Mayor Eric Adams to tout public transit safety efforts. And later on Monday, Hochul is set to appear with New York Attorney General Letitia James for a rare joint news conference in Albany in an event billed to be about gun violence.
Democrats have sought to contrast their approach on guns with Republicans in the wake of a mass shooting in Buffalo and a Supreme Court ruling that overturned the state's century-old concealed carry law.
Lawmakers and Hochul this summer approved measures to respond to the ruling, including stricter requirements for concealed carry of firearms that are now being challenged in court as well.
But Republicans have focused more on recent efforts backed by progressives to change the state's criminal justice system as violent crimes have spiked in recent months.
All this comes as Hochul has seen polls tightening in her race against Zeldin, a Long Island congressman who has run a campaign virtually focused on public safety and pledges to repeal recent changes to the state's bail laws and juvenile justice provisions.
He's selected a retired NYPD officer, Allison Esposito, to be his running mate. Underscoring the effort has been a slew of endorsements from law enforcement organizations for Zeldin, including the New York State Fraternal Order of the Police last Friday.
“The New York State Fraternal Order of Police had the opportunity to survey who our members would choose to endorse in the race for the highest office in New York State,” said Mike Essig, President of the New York State Fraternal Order of the Police. “Our membership chose to endorse Congressman Lee Zeldin and Alison Esposito in their candidacy for Governor and Lieutenant Governor due to their call for order and public safety as crime surges across the state.”
Voters have consistently ranked public safety as a key concern for them even as issues like the cost of living and inflation have peaked in recent weeks. Still, the crime issue is especially potent in New York City and the surrounding suburbs.
Suburban communities, in particular, are expected to be an important battleground for both Zeldin and Hochul heading into the final weeks of the campaign.