Gov. Hochul, Rep. Zeldin pick up where they left off on Tuesday, take their slugfest to the streets
NEW YORK -- The two candidates for New York governor had their first and only debate before election day, and they clashed over a number of hot button issues.
As CBS2's Zinnia Maldonado reports, crime dominated Tuesday night's debate between New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Lee Zeldin.
Hochul says Zeldin wants to keep the people of New York scared instead of safe.
"There is no crime-fighting plan if it doesn't include guns, illegal guns, and you refuse to talk about how we can do so much more. You didn't even show up for votes in Washington when a bipartisan group of enlightened legislators voted for an assault weapon ban," Hochul said.
Zeldin's response? Stating Hochul remains too focused on crimes committed with guns.
"It's amazing that we're going to be able to go through the entire crime conversation of this debate and we're still waiting for Kathy Hochul to talk about actually locking up criminals," Zeldin said. "You got people who are afraid of being pushed in front of oncoming subway cars. They're being stabbed, beaten to death on the street with hammers."
Abortion was another big topic. Hochul said a vote for Zeldin could mean a vote against a woman's right to choose.
"There's very few people in Congress who have a more pro-life record, someone who said he would bring on a pro-life health commissioner. You know how much power that person has over over decisions on regulations? They could literally use their power to shut down clinics. So that is a frightening spectacle. Women need to know that that's on the ballot this November as well," Hochul said.
But Zeldin vowed he would not seek to unilaterally change the state's strict abortion protections.
"A few years back, New York codified far more than Roe. When we woke up the day after the Dobbs decision, the law in New York was exactly the same as it was the day before. And I'm not going to change that," Zeldin said.
The Long Island congressman declared the state of New York is in crisis under Hochul's leadership.
"If you're tired of soaring crime, DAs that let violent criminals out on the street to roam free, crushing taxes and skyrocketing costs, New Yorkers struggling to feed their families and heat their homes. The reality is, for you, you deserve better," Zeldin said.
Meanwhile, Hochul says her job as governor isn't over just yet.
"Every single day, I wake up thinking about how I can fight harder for you and your families, to invest in education for your kids, give you more childcare opportunities so you can get back to your jobs. Also, keep more money in your pockets with middle class tax cuts and property tax rebates, but very much focused on public safety and getting more and more illegal guns off the streets," Hochul said.
Watch Zinnia Maldonado's report
Wednesday, Hochul and Zeldin took their fight to the streets.
The bell might have rung to end their face-to-face confrontation, but neither Hochul nor Zeldin was ready to throw in the towel, as they continued their slugfest from their respective corners looking for a knockout punch.
The governor got a flu shot Wednesday, but it didn't inoculate her from more attacks on her crime polices from her Republican challenger.
"The reality today is that the handcuffs are getting thrown on the criminal justice system," Zeldin said.
READ MORE: Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Lee Zeldin face off in 1st and only debate in New York governor's race
On the day after their debate, the Long Island congressman was at a Queens gas station with business owners who are regularly robbed and attacked. Zeldin blamed bail reform policies enacted in Albany.
Gas station owner Karamjit Dhaliwal, a Democrat, said he's so fed up, he's crossing party lines to support Zeldin.
"Our governor, she is not doing nothing to control the crimes. Bail reform has to stop ... Police is doing good job. They're catching the guys, but the judge letting them go right away," Dhaliwal said.
Zeldin says if he wins he will suspend cashless bail, hoping the Legislature will then change the law and at least allow judges to consider dangerousness in setting bail.
"Plan A would be for them to just come to the table because us winning this election is a very clear statement of the will of the people," Zeldin said.
READ MORE: Rep. Lee Zeldin launches assault on Gov. Kathy Hochul's new subway safety plan
"Do you think if you were able to get the Legislature to add the standard of dangerousness to the bail laws, that this would silence the critics and it would make people feel somehow safer?" Kramer asked Hochul.
"Did they feel safer before the bail laws were changed? Because I want everyone to understand, we've never had a dangerousness standard," the governor responded. "I think there's just a mischaracterization that there was once a dangerousness standard and then it was taken out. That didn't happen, and what I did in our bail changes, I put in more standards for judges to consider than they had before."
The governor said the debate highlighted, "The incredible, incredible differences of opinion on every issue that really matters to people, including the issue we're talking about right now. There is no tough-on-crime strategy that does not include being tough on illegal guns and you did not hear that last night from my opponent. He would not even say he would ban assault weapons from teenagers."
Hochul also aimed a right hook at what she hopes is Zeldin's glass jaw -- his opposition to abortion. And Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie joined in, tweeting that Zeldin's insistence that he would not change New York's abortion laws is "disingenuous."
Heastie claimed Zeldin could use his budgetary powers to limit funds for abortion clinics.
Early voting starts across the state this Saturday. Election Day is Nov. 8.