Lee Zeldin, the Congressman from New York’s first Congressional district and the Republican candidate for the governor of New York, released a statement on Monday saying that he and his family are safe after two people were shot dead outside his Long Island home on Monday.

“Like so many New Yorkers, crime has literally made its way to our front door,” Zeldin said in the statement and added that his daughters locked themselves in the bathroom and called 911 to report the incident. 

A man had earlier reportedly attempted to stab the lawmaker with a knife at a public event but the attack failed after he grabbed the attacker’s wrist and held him back till others came to his aid.

Zeldin is running against incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul for the post of New York’s governor and one of his main campaign issues is the rise of violent crimes in the city.

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Who is Lee Zeldin?

Lee Zeldin grew up in Suffolk County, New York and attended the William Floyd High School. He became the youngest attorney in New York at the age of 23 after graduating from the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY) and then Albany Law School.

Before becoming a part of the American political sphere, Zeldin had two separate stints. He first served in the military and served as the Military Intelligence Officer and Prosecutor and Military Magistrate.

After going off active duty, Zeldin started his own law practice in Smithtown, New York, which he operated full time until he was elected to the New York State Senate in 2010, according to his official Congressional profile.

Lee Zeldin, a member of the Republican party, is currently part of two Congressional committees — the Financial Services and Foreign Affairs and Oversight and Investigations.

Zeldin, an Army Reserve lieutenant colonel who has represented eastern Long Island in Congress since 2015, is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and was among the Republicans in Congress who voted against certifying the 2020 election results.

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Zeldin also won the Republican nomination for the governor’s office of New York, a state considered to be a Democratic stronghold. He is challenging Kathy Hochul, who took office in 2021 after Andrew Cuomo resigned.

Lee Zeldin is married to Diana and has twin daughters, Mikayla and Arianna. They currently reside in Shirley, New York.