Lee Michael Zeldin is an American attorney, member of Congress, and officer in the United States Army Reserve. A Republican, he has represented New York's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2015. He represents the eastern two-thirds of Suffolk County, including most of Smithtown, the entirety of Brookhaven, Riverhead, Southold, Southampton, East Hampton, Shelter Island, and a small portion of Islip. From 2011 to 2014, Zeldin served as a member of the New York State Senate from the 3rd Senate district.
During Donald Trump's presidency, Zeldin was a staunch Trump ally. He prominently defended Trump during his first impeachment hearings in relation to the Trump–Ukraine scandal. After Trump lost the 2020 presidential election and made false claims of fraud, Zeldin voted against certification of Arizona's and Pennsylvania's electoral votes.
In April 2021, Zeldin announced his candidacy for governor of New York in 2022. He is the nominee of the Republican Party and the Conservative Party, having defeated three challengers in the Republican gubernatorial primary. He has selected Alison Esposito as his preferred running mate.
