Lee Zeldin

Former U.S. Congressman representing the First Congressional District of NY (2015-2023), was the Republican candidate for NY Governor in 2022, and currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Request More Info

Add To My List

Featured Topics

Mental Health / Well-Being

Fee Range

Please contact us for pricing

Lee Zeldin
Biography

Lee Zeldin is a former United States Congressman, representing New York’s First Congressional District from 2015-2023. Most recently, Zeldin sent shockwaves across the nation after nearly winning the New York Gubernatorial campaign as a Republican, receiving more votes than any Republican statewide since Nelson Rockefeller 52 years earlier. His efforts led to down ballot success in key Congressional races that flipped the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives from Democrat to Republican.

Lee Zeldin spent four years on Active Duty with the U.S. Army after completing ROTC, and served in different capacities, including as a Military Intelligence Officer, Prosecutor, and Military Magistrate. In the summer of 2006, while assigned to the Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division, Zeldin deployed to Iraq with an infantry battalion of fellow paratroopers in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He still serves to this day as a Lieutenant Colonel in his 20th year in the United States military.

In 2010, Lee Zeldin was elected to the New York State Senate. As a State Senator, Congressman Zeldin led the successful effort to repeal the MTA Payroll Tax for 80 percent of employers, a job killing tax that was hurting New York's small businesses. He also created the PFC Joseph Dwyer Program, a peer-to-peer counseling program for veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI); the program quickly expanded across New York.

Following four years in the State Senate, Lee Zeldin was elected to Congress in 2014 where he served eight years on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and six years on the House Financial Services Committee. As one of two Jewish Republicans in Congress, Representative Zeldin was a co-chairman of the House Republican Israel Caucus, which had over 100 members. He championed many important local priorities for his district, including the successful effort to save Plum Island, a large number of Army Corps of Engineers projects, and a $2 billion Electron Ion Collider he was able to steer to Brookhaven National Lab. He quickly became a prominent and outspoken national voice on U.S. foreign policy, border security, military affairs, combating antisemitism, and much more.

Congressman Lee Zeldin grew up in Suffolk County, New York, where he graduated from William Floyd High School in Mastic Beach. Congressman Zeldin graduated from the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY) and then Albany Law School. At just 23 years old, Lee Zeldin was sworn into the New York State Bar, making him the youngest attorney in the state. He currently resides in his hometown of Shirley with his wife, Diana, and their twin daughters, Mikayla and Arianna.

Lee Zeldin
Featured Videos

Current: Congressman Lee Zeldin

Time 07:13

Lee Zeldin
Featured Keynote Programs

The Campaign for America’s Cities and Suburbs

During his 2022 campaign for New York State Governor, Lee Zeldin overcame a 3.3 million Democratic Party voter enrollment advantage to nearly defeat the heavily favored Governor, Kathy Hochul. Congressman Zeldin’s aggressive campaign efforts inside of New York’s very Democrat cities resulted in many long-time Democrat constituencies voting Republican, and more votes received than any statewide Republican candidate since Nelson Rockefeller 52 years earlier. Despite there being no red wave nationally, a red wave landed across New York to flip many House seats and change control of the U.S. House of Representatives from Democrat to Republican. None of this could have been accomplished without a detailed strategy, strong work ethic, and winning message. This keynote will discuss how Lee Zeldin came within just a few points of victory as a Republican in a deeply blue state, the lessons learned from his race, and how this model can be replicated anywhere in America.

How to Successfully Fundraise for Your Cause

In his 2022 campaign for New York State Governor, Congressman Lee Zeldin shattered expectations and raised a staggering sum of money to help get his message out to voters and nearly defeat Governor Kathy Hochul in a state with 3.3 million more Democrats than Republicans. What does it take to be a successful fundraiser against long odds? Lee will discuss key strategies on how to cultivate a massive donor base, build the right team, formulate and implement a multi-faceted and obtainable fundraising plan, define the right message and target audience, and achieve your organization’s fundraising goals.

Strengthening America’s Security at Home And Abroad

Over the past several years, as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Co-Chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus, and a 20 year Army veteran, Lee Zeldin has become one of our nation’s preeminent voices on U.S. foreign policy. Lee Zeldin understands how America must start doing a better job treating our nation’s friends as our friends and our adversaries as our adversaries, understanding our adversaries do not respect weakness, only strength. Congressman Zeldin believes we cannot be silent when challenged, not because we want war, but because we want to prevent military conflict. The United States should only send our troops into harm’s way with a strategy to win. We send our troops to win or we do not send them at all, and when they return home, we must treat our veterans with the love, dignity, and respect they deserve on behalf of a very grateful nation. During his remarks, Lee Zeldin will discuss current events in U.S. foreign policy, and what our nation must do to best advocate for our country’s best interests abroad.

A View From The Inside At The Highest Levels Of Government

During his four terms in the United States Congress, Lee Zeldin served 8 years on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, 6 years on the House Financial Services Committee, and traveled the world, while being in the room for debates and developments pertaining to the most pressing current events facing our nation at the highest levels of government. Lee Zeldin will share memorable stories from his experiences that took him from the Oval Office to Air Force One and the halls of Congress, from battlefields abroad, to one of the most exciting and unforgettable campaigns for Governor that New York State has ever experienced. During his remarks, Congressman Zeldin will share insights on how to best engage Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to achieve your legislative goals, how to engage the media to disseminate your message, and how to engage the public to sway opinion.

View More Featured Keynote Programs

Living The Seven Army Values

The seven core values of the Army are the acronym LDRSHIP: Loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. A good leader must be able to fulfill these core values and hold those around them to the highest standard of excellence. Whether serving as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, a United States Congressman, or a husband and father, Lee Zeldin proudly lives the 7 Army values regardless of whether he is wearing our nation’s uniform or not. Whether it be leading a campaign for Governor to “Save our State,” fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves, or serving as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve, Lee is always in pursuit of new challenges and new opportunities to lead. This keynote addresses the fundamental principles of leadership, and what it takes to be a leader who can take initiative to develop, build, and lead a team fearlessly into any battle.

Fighting Antisemitism And Strengthening The US-Israel Alliance

During his 8 years on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, as one of only two Jewish Republicans in Congress, and as Co-Chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus, no one in the House of Representatives has been more at the tip of the spear this past decade in combating antisemitism, opposing the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and strengthening the US-Israel relationship. From authoring legislation, to being the first to stake out strong, courageous positions that many others would often follow, Lee Zeldin’s leadership and insight on this topic has been second to none for many years in American politics. During his remarks, Congressman Zeldin will discuss how to combat antisemitism on our streets, in schools, and in the halls of government. He will outline a vision for the future that must be implemented by elected officials, school administrators, and community leaders, to ensure Jewish Americans are able to successfully tackle the many challenges faced and obstacles still in front of them.

Securing Our Streets

A crime surge has overtaken major cities across the United States, spanning from New York City, to San Francisco, Chicago, and elsewhere. For Lee Zeldin, this crime wave has hit as close to home as it gets, literally.

On October 9, 2022, Lee and his wife, Diana, were forced to rush back home in Shirley, New York, after receiving a panicked phone call from their daughters alarming them to a drive-by gang shooting just outside of their house. Zeldin’s twin daughters were sitting at the kitchen table, doing homework on a quiet Sunday afternoon, when shots rang out, leaving multiple victims just feet away, and a bullet found just 30 feet away.

In his campaign for New York Governor, Lee Zeldin was a fierce advocate for reducing crime. Raised in a law enforcement household and running alongside a 25 year veteran of the NYPD, Zeldin’s campaign focused heavily on securing the streets, by rolling back pro-criminal laws, holding DAs accountable who refuse to enforce the law, and unapologetically backing our men and women in blue. His detailed, tough-on-crime platform resulted in more votes than any Republican statewide in 52 years.

Achieving Your Professional Goals While Keeping Your Family Strong

Lee Zeldin is a family man who has dedicated his life to selfless service to his community and country while ensuring the proper balance with his family life. When we commit our time professionally to causes near and dear to our hearts, that can sometimes pull us too far away from our personal needs at home. As an Army veteran, former elected official, and candidate for New York State Governor, Lee Zeldin has experienced many of the challenges of full time work commitments that can put a strain on available family time. On top of it all, Lee was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2020, but was soon in remission and is extremely healthy. He knows what it takes to make everything in life fit together, and keep your family invested and happy, while still being able to achieve your career goals. This keynote will address the importance of support of the closest people around you, and steps you can take to discover a better balance.