Republican gubernatorial nominee Rep. Lee Zeldin demanded Monday that Gov. Kathy Hochul say publicly whether she supports efforts to strip police officers of legal protections shielding them from lawsuits over certain alleged civil rights violations.

“I want law enforcement to be able to do their job without worrying about getting sued all day long personally by disgruntled people who they come in contact with,” Zeldin told reporters in Tribeca.

“As governor,  I would veto this legislation. Now it’s important for Kathy Hochul to tell the public exactly where she stands on this proposal,” Zeldin added. “Is she for it or against it?”

Keeping qualified immunity, as the protections are known, is one plank in the GOP candidate’s tough-on-crime campaign platform, which also includes repealing bail reform and opposing moves to defund law enforcement.

“The removal of qualified immunity on a state level – or on a federal level – would further tie the hands of the police, which equates to more victims,” said Paul DiGiacomo, president of the Detectives’ Endowment Association, which has endorsed Zeldin.

“We need a governor that is going to support the police and support the actions of the police when they are acting in good faith,” DiGiacomo added. “Crime is up at all-time record levels in New York City and in New York state. Many issues contributed to that, bail reform being one.”

A rep for the governor did not provide comment Monday about her position on qualified immunity, which critics say allows cops to get off too easy when accused of abuses like excessive force.

“[She] will review the legislation if it passes both houses,” a spokesperson told The Post in July.

“This is wanting to make sure we protect constitutional rights that are violated by public servants. Period,” Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter (D-Syracuse) has previously told The Post about the bill she is sponsoring with state Sen. Robert Jackson (D-Manhattan).

The legislation did not advance in either chamber of the legislature before state lawmakers ended their regularly scheduled 2022 session in early June.

Ending qualified immunity is one of several progressive ideas that Zeldin has assailed on the campaign trail in pursuit of becoming the first Republican in two decades to win statewide office in a state where Democrats have twice as many registered voters as the GOP.

A Siena College poll released earlier this month showed Hochul – who has campaigned heavily on abortion rights and Zeldin’s votes against certifying the 2020 presidential election results – with a 14-point lead over the Republican.

Hochul also reported in mid-July that her campaign had $11.7 million on hand following her landslide victory in the Democratic gubernatorial primary while Zeldin reported just $1.6 million, state records show.

But Zeldin is looking to turn things around with a campaign message focused on inflation and public safety.

Those efforts have included renewing his call for the governor to call a special session to undo bail reform and other changes that Republicans and Democrats like Mayor Eric Adams have credited with fueling rising crime.

Hochul has declined to convene legislators before a new session kicks off next year, but that has hardly stopped her Republican rival from goading her over the issue.

“I’m calling on Gov. Hochul to provide the big reveal now on cashless bail, provide the big reveal now on qualified immunity,” Zeldin said Monday. “Don’t make it some big mystery.”