Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin October 13, launched a search for a lieutenant governor candidate, well in advance of the expected June 2022 GOP primary. His search panel will be led by Staten Island Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, the Republican nominee for New York City mayor in 2017. Currently, Republicans Rob Astorino, Andrew Giuliani, Derrick Gibson and Mike Carpinelli are also seeking the party's nomination next year. “We must restore a balance of power in Albany, both geographic and political, and the diversity of this committee underscores that in a Zeldin Administration everyone will have a seat at the table," Zeldin said. "I have the utmost confidence that the incredibly qualified members of this committee will bring expertise from each of their unique walks of life to put forward the best choice to join me on the ticket in 2022.” Zeldin's decision to move ahead with the search comes as the state GOP leaders appear to have coalesced around his candidacy. He has picked up the support of the majority of the Republican county committtee chairs, and he was declared the presumptive nominee by State Republican Committee Chair Nick Langworthy. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.