Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) identified the reason behind the GOP’s failure to win the majority in the 2020 elections during this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference.
“When your high-paid political consultant tells you not to go to a heavily Democratic area, that’s exactly where we need to show up and earn the support of these Democrats. We cannot relinquish the cities, we cannot relinquish the suburbs,” said Zeldin.
“We cannot relinquish anything to the Democrats and if we’re on offense confidently, that will be the path for us to earn a red wave. Because in 2022, we did not earn a red wave nationally. In ‘24, we must [earn a red wave] to save America,” he added.
Zeldin also said that GOP candidates need to better engage with minorities by offering proposals that tackle key issues such as public safety and education.
He explained further, “These Democrats are unhappy with the Democratic policies and the Democratic Party as a whole, but they aren’t going to just swing to the Republicans on their own. It’s a bad assumption that we are making. Instead, what we need to do is to show up over and over and over again.”
.@leezeldin is 💯 spot on. This is what the @FloridaGOP must and will be doing. https://t.co/gNgASSd9wq
— Christian Ziegler 🇺🇸 (@ChrisMZiegler) March 4, 2023
Black conservative radio show host Sonnie Johnson would likely agree with Zeldin’s advice. During a Fox News appearance two years ago, she said something similar.
“I brought this message seven years ago to Republicans, to conservatives. We can talk about this, we can go out there, we can win people, we can win hearts and minds. I was told to sit down, to shut up,” Johnson claimed.
She went on to add, “I was told that calling black people slaves on a plantation was more beneficial than actually offering them policy that fixes the issues that plague them under these Democratic-controlled cities. I was told it was not an important conversation. I was told that our voice had no weight and constantly, over and over again, these messengers who choose to berate and belittle black Americans were constantly put to the forefront.”
She continued, “We have been bringing these conversations to the right for years. You never want to have these conversations with us until this moment arises. So please, they can save the sanctimonious stuff, and let’s actually get the policy that can fix the issues in these areas.”
Zeldin made his remarks after the November midterms, during which he lost by a narrow margin, despite being in a traditionally blue state. However, Zeldin’s candidacy has been attributed to playing a crucial role in the Republican’s success in the House, as they were able to flip several historically Democratic seats to their favor in Long Island.
