The Capitol Pressroom / WCNY (David Lombardo)Tier 2
Capitol Pressroom sits down with Strong & Safe New York: spokesman Chapin Fay says the pro-Blakeman super PAC is running billboards and trying to "complement" a campaign that trails Hochul's war chest even with public matching funds
WCNY's Dispatches from Planet Albany podcast (Sept 11) features Chapin Fay, spokesman for the Strong & Safe New York independent-expenditure committee backing Blakeman, on how the super PAC is trying to close Hochul's fundraising gap with billboards and independent spending. The episode also covers Blakeman's message discipline, his reluctance to lean into pro-choice positioning, and the Republican-aligned McLaughlin poll. No new donor names or totals were disclosed in the episode page; the PAC's identified funders remain the Dolan/MSG money surfaced in August.
More on campaign-finance
New York Post (Carl Campanile, Matt Troutman) · Sep 13, 2026Bonnie Lautenberg, widow of Sen. Frank Lautenberg and a $1,000 Hochul donor in July 2025, confirms she is holding a Hamptons fundraiser for Blakeman: "Bruce is a longtime friend and neighbor"NYS Public Campaign Finance Board (commissioner reports) · Sep 11, 2026Primary-source check on Blakeman's public money: PCFB board records show one gubernatorial disbursement to Blakeman for New York, $1,201,055.22 approved June 30 (report dated July 2); the Sept. 1 disbursement report lists $1.98M across Senate, Assembly, comptroller and AG candidates and nothing for governorLong Island Patch (Tom Gambardella) · Aug 28, 2026State Democrats file BOE complaint over the Trump-Blakeman police academy rally; Blakeman calls it a "Hail Mary"VINnews · Aug 25, 2026Third pro-Blakeman super PAC registers: Trump adviser Jason Meister files "Defend Empire State" with the state Board of Elections
Source: The Capitol Pressroom / WCNY (David Lombardo) · Sep 12, 2026 · Credibility Tier 2 · Permalink https://reviewhochul.com/news/capitol-pressroom-strong-safe-ny-chapin-fay-super-pac-2026-09-11
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