Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has officially launched his campaign for New York governor, announcing his decision during a live appearance on Fox & Friends. His entry into the race sets up a high stakes Republican primary against Rep. Elise Stefanik, one of the GOP’s most influential voices and a rising national figure.
Speaking confidently about his vision for the state, Blakeman told host Brian Kilmeade, “We want to put New York first. We want to make it more affordable, we want to make New York safer, and we want to make people in New York happy again.” His message focused heavily on restoring public safety, lowering taxes, and reversing what he described as years of economic and leadership failures under Democratic governance.
Blakeman urged voters to consider his record in Nassau County, emphasizing years of tax cuts, economic growth, and what he called a dramatic improvement in public safety. “I made Nassau County the safest county in America,” he said, noting that the county’s poverty rate is significantly lower than the statewide average. “We’re one of the most prosperous counties in America. I cut taxes, I haven’t raised taxes a penny in four years. We’ve created economic prosperity.”
Hochul Campaign Responds With Aggressive Attack
The campaign of Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul wasted no time responding to Blakeman’s announcement. In a sharply worded statement, Hochul’s communications director Sarafina Chitika accused him of aligning with policies that harm working families and framed him as a blindly loyal supporter of former President Donald Trump.
“Bootlicker Bruce Blakeman has lost just about every race he’s touched county legislator, comptroller, Congress, even U.S. Senate,” Chitika claimed. “There’s a reason: just like Donald Trump, he takes money out of New Yorkers’ pockets and squeezes working families at every turn.”
The Hochul campaign went further, highlighting Blakeman’s support for Trump-era tariffs and federal budget cuts. According to Chitika, Blakeman “cheered on Trump’s tariffs like the MAGA fanboy he is flying all the way to D.C. to applaud higher prices.” She also criticized him for praising Trump as he “gut Medicaid and jacked up costs,” adding that Democrats would not allow Blakeman to turn “the governor’s mansion into Mar-a-Lago North.”
Blakeman brushed aside the criticism, calling Hochul’s leadership “a failure” and arguing that his record stands in stark contrast to hers. “She’s the one that’s been a failure,” he said. “I’m running for office to make people more prosperous, to make them safer, and to make New Yorkers happy again.”
A GOP Showdown: Blakeman vs. Stefanik
Blakeman’s entry into the race intensifies what is already shaping up to be one of the most consequential Republican primaries New York has seen in years. Rep. Elise Stefanik, the highest-ranking Republican woman in the House and a prominent ally of Donald Trump, had previously announced her intention to run for governor.
Stefanik’s campaign publicly responded to Blakeman’s announcement by emphasizing her commanding lead in polling and her proven electoral success.
“Public polling has repeatedly shown Elise Stefanik leads Blakeman by 70% in a primary, including beating him soundly on Long Island,” her team said in a statement. “Elise is the strongest candidate against Kathy Hochul by a long shot.”
Stefanik’s campaign also pointed to her track record of outperforming expectations in Democratic-leaning districts. “Elise has outrun President Trump on the ballot by more than any Republican in New York State, including Bruce,” the statement added. They further argued that Blakeman’s past political losses, his perceived weakness on Second Amendment issues, and his donations to “Far Left Democrats” made him a poor choice to lead the party.
According to Stefanik’s team, Blakeman is “an early Christmas present to Kathy Hochul,” potentially jeopardizing Republicans’ best opportunity in years to reclaim the governor’s mansion.
Trump Praises Both Candidates For Now
Former President Donald Trump, who remains highly influential within the Republican Party, commented on the budding primary between two of his allies. When asked about the prospect of Stefanik and Blakeman facing off, Trump chose to keep his distance from the brewing contest.
“He’s great and she’s great. They’re both great people,” Trump said, offering praise without signaling an endorsement.
Blakeman said he does not expect Trump to pick sides this early in the race. “I don’t think the president has to make a decision now. Let’s see how it plays out,” he said, before going on to praise Trump’s leadership. Blakeman credited Trump with revitalizing the national economy and emphasized that he shares similar goals for New York.
“He’s done more for America in the last 11 months than any president in my lifetime,” Blakeman said. “He’s done a great job with the economy. He’s out there talking about economic development and creating prosperity. Those are the same things I want to bring to New York State.”
What Comes Next?
Blakeman’s announcement marks the beginning of what could be a heated and deeply competitive GOP primary. Both he and Stefanik are positioning themselves as the candidate who can overturn Democratic dominance in statewide elections — something Republicans have struggled to do for over 20 years.
The coming months will likely feature intense campaigning, fundraising battles, and pressure from party leaders to choose the most viable challenger to Gov. Hochul.
For now, Blakeman is presenting himself as a results-driven executive who transformed Nassau County, while Stefanik is framing herself as the proven vote-getter with broad statewide appeal.