Republicans reportedly are taking a cue from Lee Zeldin, last year's GOP New York gubernatorial candidate, with the reshaping of their messaging on crime before the 2024 elections.
New York state Republicans picked up three house seats in November, including the one occupied by then-Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., who also served as the powerful Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman.
Despite the overwhelming disparity of registered Democrats over Republicans in New York state, Zeldin posted a better-than-projected finish against Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., who won by only 320,000 votes.
"Lee Zeldin ran a one-issue campaign on the issue of crime," said an anonymous House Republican strategist, according to The Hill. "Every day he was at a metro stop or a corner store where somebody got shot or mugged.
"That's just a great case study in how effective the message can be. It's the clearest and easiest way for Republicans to tag Democrats to the fringe of the party."
According to The Hill, Republicans will continue to be relentless with national messaging on crime, while also lamenting how the chaos at the United States-Mexico border — in terms of record-breaking unlawful entries into America — is contributing to the nation's opioid crisis.
"Crime is the starting point, but once we dig into what issues the issues of crime [are], this is one where we believe that this is a top issue that's going to matter to voters this cycle," said an anonymous Republican operative, the Hill reported.
Last week, an Axios/Ipsos survey revealed that 37% of Republican-leaning voters view opioids, particularly fentanyl — the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45 — as the nation's greatest threat to public health.
Overall, 26% of those surveyed, regardless of political affiliation, agreed with that sentiment.
During the midterm elections, Republicans pulled out a narrow victory in the House, while the GOP failed to claim the majority in the Senate.
As such, some Republicans believe the midterm results might have been better, if crime had been a predominant narrative during campaign season.
One example: The Republican State Leadership Committee has since launched a throng of digital ads in Virginia, swatting Democrats for opposing legislation that would charge drug dealers with homicide.
Also, former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — a possible presidential candidate for next year — have been consistently emphasizing the issue of crime in speeches and/or videos from the last few months.
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