Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman slammed Gov. Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address Tuesday, making it clear he’s running on President Trump’s script — down to an Empire State version of the MAGA hat.
The likely Republican gubernatorial candidate unveiled a red baseball cap that reads “Make NY Happy Again — Vote Blakeman.”
Blakeman, 70, fresh off being sworn in for his second termas county executive Monday night, wasted no time setting his sights on Hochul, who he hopes to unseat in the November elections.
“She didn’t mention her record,” the Long Island politician told reporters. “She only talked about Washington Republicans and Trump as if they’re the reason why we’re so overtaxed, overregulated, crime’s been out of control. And she just she’s living in a different universe than the hard working families in this state.
“She’s got no ability to understand their problems and their issues and how to solve them,” he said. “The way to solve them is not by giving them a free bus ride. It’s by creating good jobs, economic development and prosperity so people have more money in their pockets.”
The conservative executive became the GOP frontrunner after early favorite US Rep. Elise Stefanik dropped out of the race. President Trump then endorsed Blakeman to take on Hochul.
On Tuesday, Blakeman challenged the anti-Trump rhetoric that Hochul harped on during most of her State of the State address in Albany earlier in the day, touting her accomplishments in the Empire State while blaming the White House for shortcomings in economic and pro-immigration policies.
“We are the most overtaxed state in the United States,” he said at a press briefing. “The most overtaxed and therefore, as the most overtaxed state in the United States. You are hurting middle class families.
“There’s a reason why hundreds of thousands of people have left the state under your tenure. It’s the reasons why thousands of businesses have left New York State under your tenure.” Blakeman added.
“And if you listen to your speech, you would think that you were just elected today, when in fact, you’ve been the governor for over four years.”
Hochul, 67, was lieutenant governor and took over the state’s top job in 2021 after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned amid sexual harassment allegations. Hochul was elected to her first full term in the 2022 November elections, with her seat up again this year.
She spent much of her 50-minute State of the State address criticizing Trump, particularly on the president’s anti-immigration crackdown that has challenged New York’s “sanctuary state” status.
Hochul maintained she has helped boost the state’s struggling economy and brought crime down.
No Republican has won election as governor in deeply blue New York since 2002, when former Gov. George Pataki won his third and final term.
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