Republican President-elect Donald J. Trump announced on Monday, Nov. 11, that he has nominated the “Highly Respected” former congressman from New York, Lee Zeldin, to serve as the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protective Agency (EPA). Zeldin, who previously represented NY-1 in eastern Long Island, ran unsuccessfully for governor of New York against Democrat, Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2022.

 

“Lee, with a very strong legal background, has been a true fighter for America First policies,” Trump wrote. “He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet. He will set new standards on environmental review and maintenance, that will allow the United States to grow in a healthy and well-structured way.”

 

He added, “I have known Lee Zeldin for a long time, and have watched him handle, brilliantly, some extremely difficult and complex situations. I am very proud to have him in the Trump Administration, where he will quickly prove to be a great contributor!”

 

As reported, in 2022, photos of an apparent supporter of Zeldin holding signs which referred to Gov. Kathy Hochul in offensive and derogatory terms, were shared with Norwood News by those who took the images. Both were captured during a rally organized in support of Hochul in The Bronx at East 161st Street and Grand Concourse on Oct. 29, 2022. One sign referred to the governor as a “c*nt,” and another as a “bi*ch.”

 

The images were shared with Norwood News by Virginia Krompinger, president of the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club, based in the Kingsbridge section of The Bronx. The club’s members had been actively campaigning for Hochul in the lead-up to the general election on Nov. 8, 2022.

 

According to the Trump campaign, Zeldin represented NY-1 from 2015 to 2023, and in 2022, “made national headlines by nearly winning New York’s gubernatorial race, garnering the most votes for a Republican candidate statewide since Nelson Rockefeller over 50 years earlier.” The Trump campaign said Zeldin’s strong performance at the top of the ticket helped Republicans flip multiple suburban House districts in New York, resulting in the Republican Party’s majority in the House of Representatives.

 

Born and raised in Suffolk County, NY, at age 23, the Trump campaign said Zeldin became the youngest attorney in New York State, at the time. Campaign officials said Zeldin served four years on active duty in the U.S. Army, where he held roles as a military intelligence officer, prosecutor, and military magistrate. They said in 2006, he deployed to Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They said he continues his service as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, marking over two decades in the military.

 

They said in 2010, Zeldin was elected to the New York State Senate, where he served until 2014, when he won a seat in Congress. They said during his eight years in Congress, Zeldin served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Financial Services Committee. They said that as one of two Jewish Republicans in Congress, he co-chaired the House Republican Israel Caucus, which had over 100 members, and was a vocal advocate on foreign policy, border security, military affairs, combating antisemitism, environmental issues, energy policy, and much more.

 

They said for his district, Zeldin championed vast infrastructure and research projects, including the preservation of Plum Island, Army Corps of Engineers initiatives, and a $2 billion Electron-Ion Collider for Brookhaven National Lab. They said Zeldin currently lives in Shirley, New York, with his wife, Diana, and their twin daughters, Mikayla and Arianna.

 

Trump also announced on Monday that Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21), would serve in his cabinet as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Stefanik represents NY-21 which is one of the largest congressional districts in the Eastern United States, and includes Clinton, Franklin, St. Lawrence, Lewis, Hamilton, Essex, Warren, Washington, Fulton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Schoharie, and parts of Jefferson, Rensselaer, and Otsego Counties.

 

“Elise is a strong and very smart America First fighter,” Trump said. “She graduated from Harvard University, with honors, was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, and is the highest ranking woman in Congress, as the House Republican Conference Chair.”

 

In fact, having taken office at age 29, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), who represents parts of The Bronx and Queens, is the youngest woman ever to be elected to the U.S. Congress, and was also the youngest member of the 116th Congress. Stefanik was 30 when elected to Congress.

 

Meanwhile, according to Business Insider, Maxwell Alejandro Frost, a Florida Democrat, was the first member of Gen Z to win a seat in Congress. He was 25 when he was elected. Thomas Downey, a Democrat from New York, was also elected at 25. Madison Cawthorn, a Republican from North Carolina, was also 25 when he became the first person born in the 1990s to join Congress.

 

Trump continued of Stefanik, “She was the first Member of Congress to endorse me, and has always been a staunch advocate. Elise is a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Intelligence Committee, and led the charge against antisemitism on college campuses. She will be an incredible Ambassador to the United Nations, delivering Peace through Strength and America First National Security policies!”

 

New York State Young Republicans later gave their reaction to Zeldin’s nomination, writing in part, “The ‘Green New Deal’ environmental policies of the radical left in New York and around the country are among some of the most disastrous unfunded mandates in American history and are totally unsustainable. As a New Yorker, Lee knows firsthand the impact that these policies have on economic vitality and innovation, making him well-suited to cut through burdensome regulations while protecting access to clean air and water.”

 

They continued, “President Trump received a historic mandate from the American people to get our country back on track and we are pleased to see him surround himself with strong and capable New Yorkers like Lee Zeldin.”