Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman got facetime with North Country voters this past weekend as recent polling continues to indicate nearly two-thirds of New Yorkers don’t know enough about the Long Island county executive to form an opinion.
Saturday was Bruce Blakeman’s second visit to Clinton County, as he took part in a local event to kick off the campaigns of local and statewide Republican candidates. He urged those in attendance to get out and make sure Republicans are elected to every open seat.
“This is not a campaign. This is a battle for the heart and soul of the state of New York. We are at a tipping point. People are miserable. We are the most over-taxed, over-regulated state in the United States of America.”
Blakeman criticized Democrats and Governor Kathy Hochul on a number of issues, including the state’s green energy plan.
“NYSERDA is sitting with $2.4 billion of your money that they want to invest in the coming year in the green energy scam. When I become governor, we’re going to give you that money back. It’s going to go back to the people. And we’re going to drill, baby, drill!”
The GOP gubernatorial candidate slammed the state’s immigration policies and New York’s sanctuary state status.
“I’m pro-immigration. This country was founded on immigration. We need a comprehensive immigration program. I’m all for that. But what I’m not for is people coming here illegally and getting things that our taxpayers don’t get. And it will stop on day one when I become governor.”
In February 2025 corrections officers across the state walked off the job calling for repeal of the HALT Act, a measure that restricts solitary confinement. Some were fired and the National Guard is still filling their roles in prisons across the state.
Corrections Officer Kevin Dwyer, from Peru, New York, asked Blakeman what he would do about the situation.
“There’s nothing but chaos inside these prisons," Dwyer said.
“Under the HALT Act the prisoners are running the jails, not the corrections officers," Blakeman replied. "When I become governor, the lunatics will no longer be running the asylum. Our corrections officers will be safe, our communities secure. And I promise you this: any corrections officer that was fired, I will rehire them.”
The latest Siena poll indicated 64% of respondents either hadn’t heard of Blakeman or didn’t know enough to form an opinion. However, it also indicated the GOP challenger had cut Hochul’s February lead from 20 points to 13. He is confident that any polling shortcoming will be erased by Election Day.
“At this same time four years ago Lee Zeldin was 10 points further behind than my campaign right now. So we’re in a much better position and he lost the close race by 5 points. So we’re going to win because we’re going to make that up very easily.”
Moved next graf up from the end to transition from Blakeman to Smullen a bit more:
The current New York 21 Representative Elise Stefanik announced that she would not run for re-election to that seat and would instead run for governor last year. But she dropped out of the race in December and Blakeman subsequently received the state GOP gubernatorial nomination.
The Clinton County GOP has endorsed NY 21st District congressional candidate Robert Smullen over his primary opponent Anthony Constantino. Committee Vice Chair Jeff Luck criticized President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Constantino as he introduced Smullen Saturday.
“I’m going to go off-script right now and I think everybody here knows that our President Trump clearly got it wrong.”
Smullen, the current 118th District assemblyman, thanked the county Republicans for remaining steadfast in their endorsement of his campaign
“I’m the only life-long Republican in this race. I’m the one that I think best represents the values of the vast majority of the people of this district. We’re at an inflection point. Our Congresswoman has spent 12 years in Congress and I’m the right person to replace her.”
