Who is Bruce Blakeman and what is Blakeman running on in the 2026 New York Governor race?

Bruce Blakeman is the Republican candidate for New York governor. Nassau County Executive; Trump-endorsed Republican nominee. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

The race

• The seat: Incumbent Kathy Hochul (D) seeking a second full term.
• Polling: Hochul 50, Blakeman 41 (Siena, Sept 11 to 17, 2026).

Why Blakeman is behind

• New York hasn’t elected a Republican governor in 24 years and Democrats have a 2-to-1 enrollment edge (Siena’s Steve Greenberg).
• Hochul leads by 9 in the latest Siena poll and is preferred on affordability, public safety and immigration.
• Trump’s endorsement of Blakeman is viewed negatively by 51%; Blakeman leads independents and upstate, and the race tightened from a 20-point June lead.
• Hochul is cross-endorsed by the Working Families Party.

What Blakeman is running on

• Cost of living. Promises to ‘make New York affordable again’, attacking higher taxes, rents and utility bills.
• Crime. Says crime is up under Hochul and pledges public safety.
• Population. Wants to stop families leaving the state.

In Blakeman’s own words

“Kathy Hochul’s New York is a disaster: taxes are up, rents are up, utility bills are up, crime is up, and families are fleeing the state.”

The other candidates

• Kathy Hochul (D)

Every race

See every Senate and governor race on the ballot, with each candidate’s chance of winning: the 2026 midterms at a glance.