Who Is Lee Zeldin? 5 Things to Know About Trump’s EPA Chief

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Lee Zeldin served as a congressman for New York before mounting a failed bid to become governor of the Empire State.

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Nov. 11 that former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin is his choice to take over the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In a statement posted to the social media platform Truth Social, Trump said Zeldin “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.”

He said he expects Zeldin to establish new environmental review and maintenance standards that allow the United States to grow in a “healthy and well-structured way.”

“It is an honor to join President Trump’s Cabinet as EPA Administrator,” Zeldin said on X. “We will restore US energy dominance, revitalize our auto industry to bring back American jobs, and make the US the global leader of AI. We will do so while protecting access to clean air and water.”

Here are five things to know about the incoming administration’s latest pick:

State, Federal Lawmaker

Zeldin’s political service began in 2010 when he was elected to the New York Senate. He served at the state level until 2014 and was then elected to Congress, representing New York’s First Congressional District. He served in that role from 2015 to 2023.

While he was in Washington, Zeldin served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Financial Services Committee. He was also one of two Jewish Republicans in Congress and co-chaired the House Republican Israel Caucus.

“He was a vocal advocate on foreign policy, border security, military affairs, combating antisemitism, environmental issues, energy policy, and much more,” Trump said in his announcement. ”For his district, he championed vast infrastructure and research projects, including the preservation of Plum Island, Army Corps of Engineers initiatives, and a $2 billion Electron-Ion Collider for Brookhaven National Lab.”

Zeldin was a staunch defender of Trump when House Democrats attempted to impeach him. He was one of eight House Republicans who served on Trump’s impeachment team during his first impeachment trial in 2020, a group that ran alongside the president’s legal defense team.

He was also one of the congressmen who voted against certifying the 2020 election.

Lost New York Governorship

Zeldin returned to his home state in 2022, winning the GOP’s gubernatorial nomination. Trump and other high-profile Republicans such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis endorsed him.

He challenged then-interim Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who stepped into the role after Andrew Cuomo resigned after facing an impeachment inquiry and trial.

A key focus of his campaign was on the crime rates in New York City and surrounding areas, which he said were a result of Hochul’s policies, specifically the state’s bail reform laws.

Despite winning nearly 50 of New York’s 62 counties, Zeldin’s campaign fell short, and he conceded on Nov. 11, 2022.

“Those controlling Albany should take note. New Yorkers of all walks of life are sick of the attacks on their wallets, their safety, their freedoms and the quality of their kids’ education and are hitting their breaking point, as proven by these results,” Zeldin said when he conceded the race. “As they take office in January, Governor Kathy Hochul and those controlling Albany must address the grave concerns voiced by the voters. While this campaign has come to a close, the rescue mission to Save Our State continues.”

Registered Democratic voters have outnumbered registered Republicans in New York state since 1994.

Nearly one month after his defeat, Zeldin urged then-Republican National Committee Chair Rona McDaniel to step down but chose not to bid for the seat himself.

Shots Fired

In October 2022, while Zeldin was challenging Hochul for the position of New York governor, shots were fired near his home.

The then-gubernatorial candidate said two people were shot lying underneath his front porch and in nearby bushes.

“My 16 year old daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, were at our house doing homework, while my wife, Diana, and I were in the car, having just departed the Bronx Columbus Day Parade in Morris Park,” Zeldin said in an October 2022 social media statement. “After my daughters heard the gunshots and the screaming, they ran upstairs, locked themselves in the bathroom and immediately called 911. … They acted very swiftly and smartly every step of the way and Diana and I are extremely proud of them.”

Authorities with Suffolk County Police said shortly after the shooting that it was not linked to Zeldin or his family. Zeldin and his wife were not home at the time.

The shooting followed a previous incident in which Zeldin was accosted on stage during a campaign rally near Rochester, New York, in July 2022. A 44-year-old Army veteran, David Jakubonis, later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of assaulting a federal officer.

His attorneys said that Jakubonis was drunk and trying to get to the microphone.

Army Veteran

Before serving in government, Zeldin served in the U.S. Army, spending four years in active duty in a variety of capacities, including as a military intelligence officer, prosecutor, and military magistrate. He was deployed to Iraq with an infantry battalion with the 82nd Airborne Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006.

He continues to serve in the Army Reserves as a lieutenant colonel.

Cancer Survivor

Zeldin joins the second Trump administration as a cancer survivor. He announced in September 2021 that he had been diagnosed with early-stage chronic myeloid leukemia the previous November, and was now in remission.

“Over the last nine months, I have achieved complete remission, am expected to live a normal life, and my doctor says I currently have no evidence of this disease in my system,” Zeldin said in a statement released through his congressional office.

The former congressman said the treatments did not affect his work in Washington or his duties with the Army Reserves.

Dr. Jeffrey Vacirca, Zeldin’s hematologist, said the congressman “responded extraordinarily well” to targeted therapy and “has achieved complete remission.”

Jack Phillips, Zachary Steiber, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.