Pence endorses Rep. Lee Zeldin in New York governor's race

Former Vice President Mike Pence has endorsed Rep. Lee Zeldin in the New York governor’s race against Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The former Indiana governor added his name to a list of significant GOP leaders who are coming out in  support of the New York congressman who has surprised many with his high poll numbers.

“Proud to endorse @leezeldin for Governor! Vote November 8th!” Pence tweeted Saturday. “He's a Lt. Col. in the Army Reserve, proud supporter of our police officers, advocate for parents’ rights in education & a fiscal Conservative who will fight for lower taxes, less regulation & more freedom!”

Zeldin has always had a good relationship with many in the Trump-Pence administration, but he has kept a cautious distance from the former administration throughout his campaign since it is considered so controversial in the highly populated New York City metropolitan area of the true blue Empire State.

The former president endorsed Zeldin in October.

Polls currently show Hochul leading by between 4 and 11 points, which in New York is a much a narrower-than-expected margin for Democrats. A recent internal poll had Hochul up only by single digits and less than 50 percent of the vote, according to a Democratic consultant briefed by POLITICO.

“Democrats hope the polls serve as a wake-up call to their base — whose sheer enrollment dwarfs Republicans and independents combined,” the news source reported on Saturday.

The New York governor has tried to make lemonade out of lemons by suggesting that the low poll numbers may edge her fellow Democrats to come out in vote in crisis mode.

“When Democrats turn out, we win,” Hochul said during a Friday morning CNN interview.

“I think what’s not being captured in the polls is that there really is, finally, energy on the ground. It doesn’t manifest itself earlier, but you only need to peak on Election Day.”