Attacks get personal as Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Lee Zeldin search for votes on campaign trail
NEW YORK -- Emotion and passion ruled Monday as Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Lee Zeldin were on the hunt for votes.
Eight days before Election Day, the rhetoric was sharp and the attacks were personal, CBS2's Marcia Kramer reported.
READ MORE: Kathy Hochul, Lee Zeldin work NYC for votes as governor's race approaches finish line
As she watched the campaign for governor on Monday, all she could think of was crime and punishment -- not the Dostoevsky novel, but the drama being played out across the state as both candidates try to convince voters about their commitment to crime, punishment and public safety.
There was an emotional mom-to-mom moment in the race as Hochul embraced a woman who lost her child to gun violence.
"Help us. Help me help another another mother and another child who's in the street and has nowhere to go. Help me and Kathy's going to make that happen," Yvette Ramos said.
Amid the backdrop of an opponent who is trying to cast her as soft on crime, the governor highlighted her record of getting guns off the street and the actions she has taken in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling to keep people with concealed carry permits from bringing their weapons on the subway and to Times Square and other sensitive places.
"Don't come here today and tell us you've got a tough-on-crime plan that's just soft and squishy on guns," Hochul said.
Hochul was incensed about Zeldin's call to arm teachers during an appearance on Sunday on CBS2's political talk show, The Point.
"Once you tell people you're going to do that, Lee Zeldin, guess who now knows they can walk into a school, get past the metal detectors because they know that there is gun is waiting for them that they can just take it to a classroom. That is the definition of insanity. That's what you get with Lee Zeldin," Hochul said.
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For his part, the Republican challenger had an old fashioned get-out-the vote rally with fired-up supporters in Westchester County. A special guest was Virginia Gov. Glen Youngkin.
"Is Westchester ready to fire Kathy Hochul?" Zeldin said.
"This is like a NASCAR race. You got Kathy Hochul kind of bumping along the final turn. Here comes Lee Zeldin on the outside!" Youngkin said.
Lieutenant governor candidate Allison Esposito, a former NYPD chief, fired up the crowd about about public safety.
"Babies as young as 1 year old are shot and killed in their strollers by a bullet fired by a gang member with multiple prior arrests, multiple firearm arrests," Esposito said.
READ MORE: Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Lee Zeldin face off in 1st and only debate in New York governor's race
Zeldin tried to insist he's a better crimefighter and appeals to a cross section of New Yorkers.
"This isn't about Republicans versus Democrats. This is about all of us together -- Republicans, Democrats, Independents uniting as New Yorkers to save our state," Zeldin said.
Both campaigns are clearly in hyperdrive as the race goes down to the wire. Early voting is going on. It lasts until Sunday. The election is a week from Tuesday.
