Rep. Lee Zeldin Image by Wikimedia Commons

President Trump endorsed Long Island Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin following a poll showing he is in a tough fight to win reelection.

The president tweeted Wednesday that Zeldin, who represents the eastern end of Long Island, has his “Complete and Total Endorsement!” That comes less than a week after a liberal PAC released a poll showing Jewish Democratic challenger Perry Gershon down by just three points, well within the survey’s 4.9% margin of error.

Congressman Lee Zeldin is doing a fantastic job in D.C. Tough and smart, he loves our Country and will always be there to do the right thing. He has my Complete and Total Endorsement!

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2018

Gershon fired back on Twitter that the endorsement shows how worried Republicans are about losing the district, which Trump carried by more than 10 points, but Barack Obama narrowly won the previous two elections.

TFW your favorite puppet’s district is slipping away https://t.co/vYFTQL8DBn

— Perry Gershon (@perrygershon) September 26, 2018

The poll showed that support for Trump has plummeted since 2016. Only 42% of people surveyed said they had a favorable view of him compared with 52% with an unfavorable opinion.

Zeldin is still popular within the Republican base but appears to be struggling with independents.

Sensing an opening, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee threw additional support into the race in mid-September.

Gershon is part of a strong crop of Jewish candidates hoping to help Democrats retake the House in November.

EXPLORE ALL THE RACES WITH JEWISH CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES IN OUR INTERACTIVE MAP

Contact Ben Fractenberg at [email protected]

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount