WASHINGTON DC – Former Congressman and Republican candidate for governor of New York, Lee Zeldin, has been tapped by President-elect Trump to serve as the nation’s 17th Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator. Zeldin was a state senator from 2011- 2014 before being elected to Congress (NY-1) where he served from 2015-2023. In 2022 Zeldin was the Republican candidate who ran against Governor Kathy Hochul, but lost, capturing 46 percent of the vote in an election cycle that brought several New York Republicans to Congress and delivered a Republican House majority. The Long Island native served in the US Army from 2003-2007 before transitioning to the Army Reserves. After his military service, he became an attorney with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey before his political career expanded. In picking Zeldin, 44, to lead the EPA, President-elect Trump said on his social media platform “He will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet.” According to the EPA website, the mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment ensuring Americans have clean air, land, and water. The agency is also tasked with enforcing U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and international trade.
