GOP Seizes On Bail Reform as Weapon to Bash Democrats on Crime
Public safety fears have taken center stage in the New York and Illinois governor races.
A Republican strategy to seize on crime in governor races across the country has helped tighten some key contests, with GOP campaigns using bail reform to paint Democrats as being soft on the issue.
In New York, Republican Lee Zeldin, who is challenging Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, has vowed to roll back a state law that allows people charged with many low-level and nonviolent offenses to be released after arrest without posting cash bail. His ads have hammered Hochul on the issue, with soundtracks of screams and videos showing violent robberies and shootings. One ad is so graphic that YouTube prompts viewers with two separate disclaimers about “inappropriate and offensive” content before allowing playback.