New York’s crime crisis has taken center stage in the hotly contested gubernatorial race between Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Lee Zeldin, but former Clinton pollster Mark Penn says the tragic murder of a young mother blamed on Hochul’s soft policy could be what will bring victory in Zeldin.
Keaira Bennefield, 30, was shot and killed in front of her children around 8.30am on October 5, less than 24 hours after her ex-husband was released without bail for allegedly beating her.
Adam Bennefield, 45, allegedly rammed his wife’s vehicle that morning as she took her three children to school. The children, aged 6 months to 9 years, were in the car when he allegedly shot her in execution style.
NY MOM GRIEVING DAUGHTER ALLEGEDLY KILLED BY DISTANT HUSBAND BLAMES HOCHUL POLICIES FOR MURDER
Adam Bennefield, 45, allegedly killed his ex-wife Keaira hours after he was released from police custody without bail.
(Buffalo Police Department)
“Crime is the number one problem in New York State, and this horrific murder, in which someone beats her first and is let out into the street, could be the incident pretty close to the election. , pretty clear in its relationship to bail laws…wow, that could really be it,” Fox News contributor Penn told “America’s Newsroom” hosts Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino on Wednesday as polls narrow to single digits.
Keaira Bennefield had begged police for help in the weeks leading up to her death, according to the New York Post. Adam Bennefield has a previous conviction for kidnapping another woman at gunpoint and allegedly abusing his estranged wife.
“She should be charged with the crime. She’s also responsible for the crime,” Keaira Bennefield’s mother, Tammy Hudson, told the New York Post this week of Hochul.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul campaigns for the upcoming gubernatorial election at a senior center in Brooklyn, New York on October 26, 2022.
(Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
Penn reflected on the New York City the crime epidemic of the 1990s, pointing out that former President Bill Clinton sought police endorsement and took tough stances on crime to resonate with those affected by the problem in the era.
“History repeats itself over and over again,” he said, noting similarities to the current crisis.
RON DESANTIS CAMPAIGNS FOR LEE ZELDIN: THINGS WILL BE ‘BETTER IF HE IS ELECTED GOVERNOR’
Republican New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin has silenced a reporter who questioned why he chose to “talk politics” after a shooting took place right outside his home.
(Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“We see here that the policies that led to crime in the 90s are being repeated now, and I think they’re even more extreme. The truth is, New Yorkers don’t support those policies.”
Penn said Zeldin ran a “smart campaign” focusing on crime while Hochul sought to push the issue until after the election, another move that could potentially hurt his chances of winning.
Zeldin, who recently appeared with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to rally Staten Island voters to the polls, Sean Hannity told Tuesday night that energy, momentum and stakes were on his side in the race.
“People are done with Kathy Hochul,” he said on “Hannity.” “And it’s Republicans, Democrats, Independents [coming] all together as New Yorkers to save this state.”
Last week, the Fox News Power Rankings took New York from Solid D to Likely D as crime emerged as the dominant issue. A week later, the race continues to tighten as several recent polls put the contest within 10 points.
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Emma Colton and Remy Numa of Fox News contributed to this report