Ron Lauder Backs Lee Zeldin for New York Governor, Hoping to End NYC Crime Wave

Estee-Lauder billionaire, 78, reveals he's given Zeldin campaign $11m to end NYC crime wave as he says 'you couldn't pay me to get on subway'

• Ronald Lauder, 78, the billionaire heir of Estee-Lauder has donated $11 million to the New York gubernatorial campaign of Republican Representative Lee Zeldin
• Lauder, who is a Trump-aligned Republican, says he wants Zeldin to tackle New York City's growing crime problem
• His cash injection caught incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul's campaign by surprise 
• Lauder insists it is all about solving NYC's crime problem
• Recent campaign finance reports covering three weeks in October show Zeldin outraised Hochul by bringing in $3.6 million to her $3.4 million

New York cosmetics heir Ronald Lauder, 78, who is one of the richest men in the city has donated $11 million to the New York gubernatorial campaign of Republican  Representative Lee Zeldin in a bid to end the Big Apple's crime wave.

Lauder, who has a net worth of $4.5 billion and is a Trump-aligned Republican has given millions of dollars to back conservative causes and candidates.

He and his brother, Leonard Lauder, are the sole heirs to the Estée Lauder cosmetics company, founded by their parents, Estée Lauder and Joseph Lauder, in 1946 

The very notion that the governor's office would be winnable for Republicans in New York, where there are twice as many Democrats as Republicans and a GOP governor has not been elected in 20 years, is the latest warning for Democrats that they could face deep losses in this year's midterm elections.

Zeldin, a congressman and ally of former President Donald Trump, has tightened the race in recent weeks after focusing for months on rising violent crime in New York with Lauder's money giving a much-needed boost to his chances of securing victory.

Ronald Lauder, 78, the billionaire heir of Estee-Lauder has donated $11 million to the New York gubernatorial campaign of Republican Representative Lee Zeldin

There has been a late-stage surge in funding by Republican Lee Zeldin which could result in an upset in the traditionally blue state

Lauder's cash injection forced Democrats to create a super PAC in New York to try and boost incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul's run as her polling and fund-raising advantages have slowly began to crumble as election day draws near.

It is a sure sign of the party's growing fears that a late-stage surge by her Republican rival could result in an upset in the traditionally blue state. 

Should Zeldin win he would become the state's first GOP governor since George Pataki left office in 2006. 

Hochul raised $50 million for her campaign over the course of a year while Zeldin only managed to raise about half that amount - but Lauder's involvement significantly narrowed the gap with Lauder being responsible for close to half of all pro-Zeldin spending between August and late October.

The money has gone towards a barrage of political ads that portray Hochul as being connected to the rise in crime and Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, being soft on crime. 

Democrat Kathy Hochul

The Super PAC to which Lauder donated his $11 million has helped pay for newspaper ads and Zeldin lawn signs together with a texting campaign to drive turnout 

The Super PAC to which Lauder donated has also paid for newspaper ads and Zeldin lawn signs together with a texting campaign.

Over the years, Lauder has donated money to art and philanthropy to Jewish causes but within the political sphere has has spent at least $35 million in the last few decades supporting Republicans for state and federal office including $200,000 to former President Donald Trump.

It was was Lauder who famously pitched the idea for Trump in 2019 to buy Greenland from Denmark. The former president even invoked his National Security Council to discuss the matter. 

Since 2016, Lauder has donated more than $1.6 million to pro-Donald Trump organizations 

This time around, Zeldin has made his focus the rising crime rates and a string of high-profile violent incidents, including some killings on the New York City subways. He blames Hochul and Democrats in Albany for not being tough enough on criminals.

Rates of violent crime and killings have broadly increased around the U.S. in Democrat cities under the Biden Administration.

Lauder is a Trump-aligned Republican who has donated millions of dollars to back conservative causes and candidates over the years

Ron is pictured here in his role as as American ambassador in Austria in Vienna in 1986

Crimes on New York City's subways are now up 41 percent over last year, murders in particular rising to their highest rates in 25 years.

US Rep and New York gubernatorial hopeful Lee Zeldin slammed Gov. Kathy Hochul for the latest rape incident and surge in crime in the Big Apple

Rates of murder, rape, robbery and assault have all increased across New York under the Democrats.

Ronald Lauder is the current President of the World Jewish Congress. He is pictured in October 2021

Over the years, Lauder has donated money to art and philanthropy and Jewish causes. He is pictured in December 2019, in front of the notorious gate at the site of the former Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp alongside former German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Lauder insists his motivations are simple and selfless and are driven with the sole aim of tackling crime and the fear of. 

'It's a question of one thing I believe in, always have. I want two parties. I want a Republican and a Democratic Party. When you have just one party, I believe things go wrong,' he told the New York Times.  

Lauder says he believes Hochul should have pushed harder to reverse changes to the state's bail law that bars prosecutors from asking for cash bail.

'You couldn't pay me to get on the subway,' Lauder said to the Times nothing that he does not want his children and grandchildren 'to have to go with bodyguards.'  

Recent campaign finance reports covering three weeks in October show Zeldin outraised Hochul by bringing in $3.6 million to her $3.4 million

Lauder insists his fundraising motivations are simple and selfless, driven with the sole aim of tackling crime and the fear of. ' It's a question of one thing I believe in, always have. I want two parties. I want a Republican and a Democratic Party. When you have just one party, I believe things go wrong,' he said. He is pictured in 2019 

'It has nothing to do with money for myself' he said. 'Frankly, if I was a different person, I would have moved already.'

The most recent campaign finance reports covering three weeks in October show that Zeldin outraised Hochul by bringing in $3.6 million to her $3.4 million.

Hochul, who took over as governor in August 2021 after former Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned amid sexual harassment allegations, pictured alongside President Joe Biden during a visit on Sunday

Hochul pictured alongside former President Bill Clinton during a visit on Saturday

Nancy Pelosi to hand her Congressional seat to her daughter?

Pelosi to hand seat to daughter? As rumors swirl Nancy will be forced to step down after midterms wipeout, her activist daughter Christine is favorite to take over . . . with a little help from her mom's fundraising machinery and contacts

• With rumors she plans to step down if a red wave hits in Tuesday's midterms, plans have already begun to succeed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 
• Pelosi, has served in Congress since 1987 and on two occasions as speaker
• A story published Friday suggested that if Democrats suffer the expected midterms losses, Pelosi will step down, leaving her San Francisco seat open 
• Multiple local politicians appear to be setting up for a potential run at her district in 2024 
• One of the people who could be running for the seat: Pelosi's daughter, Christine, who is an activist, ex-assistant district attorney and former congressional chief of staff

With rumors she plans to step down if a red wave hits Congress in Tuesday's midterms, plans have already begun to succeed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in California's 12th congressional district.

Pelosi, 82, has served in Congress since 1987 and on two occasions as speaker

One of the people who could be running for the seat is Pelosi's daughter, Christine, a Democratic activist who has served as a proxy for her politician mother, if her seat were to open.

Multiple local politicians appear to be setting up for a potential run at her district in 2024

Plans have already begun to succeed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in California's 12th congressional district in the event she steps down if Democrats lose in Tuesday's elections

 Christine, 56, often appears with her mother at various events and even wrote a book about her in 2019: 'The Nancy Pelosi Way: Advice on Success, Leadership, and Politics from America's Most Powerful Woman'

Nancy, Paul and Christine Pelosi at the 2017 funeral of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee

That could potentially make Christine the third generation in a long-running political dynasty, as her grandfather and Nancy's father, Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. was a real estate broker who served in Congress from 1939 to 1947 and as mayor of Baltimore, Maryland from 1947 to 1959. 

Christine Pelosi, 56, often appears with her mother at various events and even wrote a book about her in 2019: 'The Nancy Pelosi Way: Advice on Success, Leadership, and Politics from America's Most Powerful Woman.' 

Her political work goes into California Democratic Party positions, including a decade-long stint as chair of the state party's women's caucus. 

She's also served in Washington as a staffer in the Clinton White House as a special counsel in the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Pelosi was a Chief of Staff to Representative John Tierney from 2001 to 2005. 

The speaker's daughter also has been affiliated with the Young Democrats of America. Most prominently, she was one of California's delegates to the Democratic National Committee and an elector for the state in 2016. 

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, she also served as legal counsel to an ongoing campaign to end workplace harassment, going so far as to tell lawmakers in Sacramento: 'There are rapists in this building' during a public address. 

Nancy Pelosi can be seen at left in this 1961 photo of her father, Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., speaking with President John F. Kennedy after taking the oath to become a member of the Federal Renegotiation Board

Christine, who is married to film producer Peter Kaufman, has created controversy in recent years with some of her comments online, including a since-deleted 2020 tweet that read: 'Rand Paul's neighbor was right' after the Republican senator was assaulted by a man who lived next door. 

Paul mocked Pelosi's tweet when offering well-wishes to her father after he was hospitalized. 

She's even antagonized her fellow Democrats: Prior to his victory in a recall election, she said that California Gov. Gavin Newsom should've resigned if it appeared he was going to lose. 

Pelosi also antagonized party insiders by trying to get Democrats to stop taking corporate money and attempting to get a debate on climate change into the 2020 Democratic Primary.

Pelosi has created controversy in recent years with some of her comments online, including a since-deleted tweet that 'Rand Paul's neighbor was right' after the Republican senator was assaulted by a man who lived next door in 2020

While never holding elected office herself, she's authored two books seen as training for people who want to run campaigns.  

Outside of politics, Pelosi has been a blogger for the Huffington Post and serves on the charity board of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants. 

According to a Politico story, many see Pelosi, 56, as the favorite to replace her mother should she throw her name in, with the potential backing of the party apparatus.

Her uncle, Thomas D'Alesandro III, was also mayor of Baltimore from 1967 to 1971. 

Pelosi's uncle, Tommy D'Alesandro III, also served as mayor of Baltimore

While Speaker Pelosi is one of the wealthiest members of Congress - with a net worth of up to $120 million, according to Yahoo Finance - her brother famously declined to run for a second term, claiming he couldn't afford to raise five children on a mayor's salary, the Washington Post said upon his 2019 death.   

Pelosi's advantages are seen as being connections within the party, ties to Dems in Washington and the possibility of having her mother's considerable fundraising behind her. 

The presence of Speaker Pelosi appears to have many San Francisco Dems on eggshells. 

Todd David, a former political director for another candidate, said: 'From a pure practical, political point of view, no one wants to offend Nancy Pelosi.'

It's clear from the story and Dem consultant Max Szabo that the battle is already underway.

Szabo said: 'Given the fact that these positions don't have term limits, and given the ATM that is San Francisco, this is going to be a brawl. No one is going to leave anything on the field.' 

Reader comments:

Keeping it in her disgusting grifter family

I guess this whole thing is a family dynasty, Kinda like the Kim family of N.Korea.

Rosemary's baby.

Satan and his minions have nothing over the Nancy Pelosi Crime Empire!!!

That's all the US needs. The spawn of Satan.

So this was the one that was happy when Rand Paul was attacked? What are her feelings now? Still the same?

The only thing Nanzi has done is make millions on deals and insider trading.

Pelosi wants to do to America what she's done for San Francisco - make it a sh_t hole.