Zeldin ‘Very Seriously Considering’ Running For RNC Chair

On Thursday, Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) sent an email to Republican National Committee members indicating that he is likely planning to run for chair of the committee.

The email comes as Zeldin’s strong performance in the New York governor’s race last week appears to have led to Republicans taking back the House.

“Though Zeldin lost, the Republican came surprisingly close in the reliably blue state, finishing six percentage points behind Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul — making it the tightest gubernatorial race there since 1994,” Politico reported. “Republicans argue that Zeldin’s overperformance helped the party flip four congressional seats in New York, which in turn played a key role in enabling the GOP to win back the House by a razor-thin margin. Every county in the state shifted right since 2020, according to an analysis by the Times Union.”

In the email, first obtained by Politico, Zeldin told committee members that he is “very seriously considering” running for leadership of the party.

“It is time for our party to retool, transform, win back the Presidency in 2024, expand our number of Republican-held seats in Congress, and elect the maximum number of down-ballot races across the country,” Zeldin said. “The Republican Party needs to be all in to do everything in its power to save America.”

Zeldin added, “Not only should the Republican Party compete in all 50 states, and ensure we are driving up turnout within our base, but we also need to go to all communities no matter how blue they are, show up often, build relationships, and advance our proposals on education, upward economic mobility, housing, mental health, public safety, and more. This means making sure people know what we stand for, and not just what we are against.”