Congressman Lee Zeldin, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, just took another step closer to that goal. 

The Long Islander is nearly at the 50% mark needed to become the designated nominee of the influential Conservative Party of New York.  

He explained to Capital Tonight host Susan Arbetter what his priorities will be over the next year as he travels around the state and introduces himself to voters.

“It’s important to focus with New Yorkers on the issues that matter most to them,” Zeldin said. “And now, New Yorkers are hitting their breaking point. So, for us, it’s important to talk about the economy, why individuals are looking to live elsewhere and how their dollar can go further in some other state.”

One big priority for Zeldin is education.

“This isn’t a red-on-blue or Republican-on-Democratic issue," he said. "This is something that New York parents care about."