Zeldin gains a vote in Friday's House speaker election

UPDATE — Former Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin is gaining traction in the House speaker race. 

Three Long Island Congressmen — Anthony D'Esposito, Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota — voted a third time  for Zeldin  for House speaker on Friday. They were joined by Rep. Marcus Molinaro of upstate New York in voting for Zeldin. 

Rep. George Santos, the fourth Republican Congressman representing Long Island, voted three times for Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio for the House speaker election. 

Long Island Congressmen Anthony D'Esposito, Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota released a joint statement on X Thursday morning regarding the House speaker race. 

The congressmen stated that they are a "unified front" representing Long Island, and that they insist the next House speaker prioritize "SALT cap relief, 9/11 healthcare funding, flood insurance legislation, and assurances that we curb runaway federal spending" to avoid a government shutdown.

Rep. George Santos, also a Republican from Long Island, has voted for Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio twice in the House speaker race.

For the second day in a row, Long Island Congressmen Anthony D’Esposito, Nick LaLota, and Andrew Garbarino — all Republicans — voted for former Rep. Lee Zeldin in the House speaker race Wednesday.

D'Esposito, LaLota, and Garbarino cast their votes for Zeldin in Wednesday's House speaker race. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the leading candidate, failed to receive a majority, meaning the House is still without a speaker.

Three of Long Island’s four congressmen voted for failed New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin in Tuesday's first vote for House speaker.

Anthony D’Esposito, Nick LaLota, and Andrew Garbarino — all Republicans — voted symbolically for Zeldin, who lost in 2022 to Gov. Kathy Hochul. Rep. George Santos voted for Rep. Jim Jordan.

Jordan received 200 votes but failed to win a majority. Twenty Republicans voted against Jordan, a conservative from Ohio.  

In a statement posted to X, LaLota said he would vote for a speaker who made a commitment to helping Long Island, specifically with Sept. 11 funding and floor insurance issues.

"I've been up front about withholding my support without reliable commitments on these important issues," LaLota's post read. "When I said I'd always put Long Island first, I wasn't bluffing."

D'Esposito responded to LaLota's post on X, "I second that motion."

— This is a breaking story. Check for updates.