Lee Zeldin is a Republican United States Representative who started representing New York’s 1st congressional district in 2015. In 2022, he ran in New York’s Governor race, but lost to Democrat Kathy Hochul. Zeldin was also an attorney and was in the military where he served four years on Active Duty. He is now part of the Army Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Zeldin was raised in Suffolk County, New York and graduated from William Floyd High School. Following high school, he went to the State University of New York and then went to Albany Law School.
Zeldin went through the Army ROTC program and then served four years on Active Duty, where he held a variety of responsibilities including Military Intelligence Officer, Prosecutor and Military Magistrate.
Zeldin opened a law practice in Smithtown, New York in 2008 and ran the practice until he joined the New York State Senate in 2010.
While he was in the Senate, he created the PFC Joseph Dwyer Program, a peer to peer program for veterans. Zeldin was also successful in repealing the Saltwater Fishing License Fee in New York while he was in the Senate.
Zeldin was elected to the House of Representatives in 2014 where he represented New York’s 1st Congressional District.
During his years in the House, he created the Adult Day Health Care Act to aid veterans, and got a new veterans health care clinic on Long Island. He also lead the effort to reauthorize the Zadroga Act and Victim Compensation Fund. Zeldin is a part of the Financial Services and Foreign Affairs Committees and is the co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus. He is also a founding member of the National Estuary Program Caucus. He is co-chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus.
In 2022, Zeldin went up against Hochul for the role of New York Governor, but ended up losing the race. His wife’s name is Shirley and they share twin daughters, Mikayla and Arianna.
