Republican candidates for governor in New York would handle the COVID-19 pandemic differently if given the chance to oversee the response to the ongoing public health crisis. 

The candidates reject mask rules for kids in schools, as well as vaccination mandates that are being put in place across various sectors of the economy. 

And they would have preferred a swifter reopening in a state that was hit hard early on by the pandemic — providing a glimpse into a governing philosophy that is seen in other parts of the country. 

But they also differ on whether other states, including Florida, offer a model for New York to follow. The stances put them at odds, however, with where New York voters are, according to public polling that has found broad support for vaccine requirements and mask wearing amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant this past summer. 

New York now has 2,341 patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 following the spike in cases in recent months, while 61.8% of all New Yorkers have completed their vaccination series, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul's office. 

Republican Rob Astorino said officials were too slow in changing their strategy as the pandemic evolved.  

"I think a lot of things should have been done differently as we started to learn new information just months into this," Astorino said. "But basically, we're in a time warp and doing the same things we were doing back then."

Astorino, a former Westchester County executive, pointed to his executive experience and said he would have reopened schools sooner. He also opposes requirements recommended by public health offficials for kids to wear masks indoors.

"You have to make decisions based on the knowledge you have and the expertise around you," he said. "Sometimes you have to make an unpopular decision but that you know it's right." 

Rival GOP candidate Andrew Giuliani said one model for him is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. 

"I know Gov. DeSantis gets a lot of heat from some of the media, but I think Florida has really gotten it right," Giuliani said. "I think ultimately you need to trust your citizens rather than mandate masks in schools."

Giuliani also knocked vaccination mandates, like those for health care workers.  

"People should look and say, 'well, I'm above the age of 50, how's my health?' and make that decision," he said. 

U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, meanwhile, says he opposes having businesses like restaurants check customers for proof of vaccination. 

"They don't want to have to ask for a vaccine passport in order to get their business," Zeldin said. "They don't to turn it away."

But Zeldin does not have a state he would model his own COVID-19 response on. Instead, he wants to find what works for New York.

"I don't think any state has gotten this perfect," he said. "No state will get this perfect. We should study what every state is doing and not whether the governor is a Republican or a Democrat."