Kathy Hochul and Lee Zeldin entering the final weekend of campaigns for NY governor

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Saturday, November 5, 2022
NY governor candidates enter final weekend of campaigns
It's down to the wire with just four days until Election Day, and both candidates for New York governor were out in force Friday. Sonia Rincon has the latest on their campaign efforts.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- It's down to the wire with just four days until Election Day, and both candidates for New York governor were out in force Friday.

Governor Kathy Hochul was in Brooklyn Friday morning for the annual Democratic Breakfast greeting constituents and taking selfies with them in front of the Barclays Center.

This weekend she will be joined on the campaign trail by Former President Bill Clinton in Brooklyn on Saturday and President Joe Biden in Yonkers on Sunday.

Just Thursday night Hochul held a large rally at Barnard College in Manhattan with some other major names from the Democratic Party-- Vice President Kamala Harris and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"Fight for the ideals and the attainment of the ideals of our nation. That is what is at stake. And so we will fight! And when we fight we win!" said Harris.

And with turnout being the key for Hochul, there is perhaps only one other name that could perk up the ears of undecided voters: Former President Barack Obama.

Obama has been doing radio ads for Hochul in the final two weeks of the race.

As we close in on Election Day, Kathy Hochul and Lee Zeldin are trying to convince undecided voters to side with them in the race for governor. CeFaan Kim has the story.

During an event on Thursday morning, Eyewitness News asked Hochul what she would say to Democrats in NYC who are worried about rising prices and crime.

"Most voters understand that I've been the governor one year," Hochul said. "There are national trends going on and I've been in the trenches fighting for them."

The Hochul campaign is trying to energize the base and stave off a Republican insurgence led by Long Island Congressman Lee Zeldin who held a rally last night in Rensselaer County.

Despite his anti-abortion stance and his close ties to Donald Trump, he's polling within single digits of the incumbent with his laser focus on crime.

"What is so important here in the home stretch is for all of us to do everything in our power, take absolutely nothing for granted, campaign like if we're behind no matter what," Zeldin said.

Zeldin said on Fox News he thinks Democrats will vote for him with his message on crime.

"You have Democrats who feel like their party has left them," he said. "Some Democrats consider themselves to be conservative. Some Democrats register because that's what you do if you want your vote to count.

"Someone who says they're tough on crime, but soft on guns is just trying to perpetrate a fraud," Hochul said.

Zeldin spoke in Manhattan's West Village on Friday where a jogger was raped.

"In four days, we are taking our streets back," Zeldin said. "We are taking our subways back. We will fire weak district attorneys who refuse to enforce the law. We will back our men and women in law enforcement."

RELATED: What to know about voting in the Midterm Elections in NY, NJ, and CT

Now Hochul is in her own fight to become New York's first elected female governor.

"If you believe we need common sense laws to protect our citizens from being killed on our streets, if you believe we should continue investing in our people, investing in education, your education, making sure you have a shot at the New York dream that we cherish, then you need to make sure that I'm still the governor on Wednesday," Hochul said.

If Hochul loses it would be a major upset in a state that Democrat Andrew Cuomo won four years ago by 24 points.

Our partners at FiveThirtyEight show Hochul is up by an average of 7 points.

One big concern for Democrats is even if Hochul wins, if it's not by the large margins they're used to, down-ballot candidates in closer races could find themselves swept out in a red wave -- even in blue New York.

On this episode of "Up Close," Gov. Kathy Hochul and challenger Lee Zeldin make their case for why they should be elected governor of New York.

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