New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin went directly after Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul during a debate Tuesday evening, focusing quite a bit of attention on the massive increase in the state’s crime rate.

When the issue came up, Hochul focused primarily on gun control laws (which have been overturned as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court) and a host of other failed progressive policies.

Zeldin fired off this response: “Kathy Hochul believes that the only crimes being committed are crimes with guns; you have people who are afraid to be pushed in front of oncoming subway cars, they’re being stabbed, beaten to death on the street with hammers.”

“Talk to the Asian American community and how it’s impacted them with the loss of lives, Jewish people targeted with raw, violent anti-Semitism on our streets — it just happened yet again,” the GOP candidate continued. “We need to be talking about all of these other crimes, but instead, Kathy Hochul is busy patting herself on the back, job well done. No, actually.”

“Right now, there should be a special session” to “overhaul cashless bail and these other pro-criminal laws with zero tolerance,” he added.

WATCH:

NY Gov. Kathy Hochul's plan to address the spike in violent crime? More gun control.

Congressman Lee Zeldin has other ideas. pic.twitter.com/QlJ0T4Uz2F

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 25, 2022

Zeldin’s remarks sparked a huge response online, most in agreement.

“Zeldin is telling a story about the personal impact of crime and lax enforcement by DAs,” author Noah Rothman responded. “It is very impressive. Hochul responds by brining up Jan. 6 and Zeldin’s votes on affirming the results of the 2020 election. He’s murdering her on this issue.”

“All my opponent can come up with is talking about the last election?” he quoted Hochul. “Hochul finally responds with some concrete stipulations about how she would respond to crime in a full term. She is not being pinned down on crime in ways her campaign didn’t anticipate so far.”

“I guess they’ll let him out on low bail then amirite? Heyooo,” CNN’s Mary Katharine Ham joked in ridiculing left-wing crime policies.

“Kathy Hochul said she is the first governor to ever work with a New York mayor to increase public safety. Totally insane,” political consultant Ryan James Girdusky noted.

“Lee Zeldin is absolutely crushing Kathy Hochul in the NY Governors race debate,” conservative commentator Ashley St. Clair added on Twitter.

Last week, a poll of 1,056 likely voters, which was conducted by Co/efficient on October 18-19, showed that Zeldin held a very slight lead over incumbent Hochul in deep blue New York, 45.6%-45.3%, while 9.1% of voters were undecided. Several other surveys have shown that the race is much tighter than expected.

Nationwide, concern about increases in violent crime is a top concern among a majority of voters.