Bonnie 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"

Backfill (Aug 17 story, added Sept 13 after a coverage-gap check). The Post reported that Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg, 79, a photographer and philanthropist and widow of New Jersey Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg, confirmed she plans to host a fundraiser for Bruce Blakeman. State records show she gave $1,000 to Hochul's reelection campaign in July 2025; federal filings show hundreds of thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates and causes over the past decade, including Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton. Lautenberg gave the Post a one-line explanation, personal friendship with Blakeman, and no policy reason. The fundraiser date and any dollar figure raised have not been reported; no BOE itemization tied to the event has been found as of Sept 13. Widely amplified by partisan aggregators (Western Journal, IJR, Jewish Voice), which are not used as sources here.

"The Cost of Bruce Blakeman" tour reaches Western New York: LG nominee Adrienne Adams, Rep. Tim Kennedy and Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan launch a canvass at CWA Local 1168 headquarters in Amherst on Sept. 12, the state Democratic Committee's pitch that Blakeman's record would raise costs and property taxes

The state Democratic Committee's anti-Blakeman tour held its Western New York stop Saturday at the CWA Local 1168 hall in Amherst, Erie County. Speakers were Democratic lieutenant governor nominee Adrienne Adams, U.S. Rep. Tim Kennedy and Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan, joined by labor representatives. The tour's stated message is that Blakeman's policies would increase costs and property taxes; the Blakeman campaign's response, if any, was not found in coverage. Pre-event advisory: https://www.fingerlakes1.com/2026/09/08/adams-kennedy-and-ryan-to-launch-anti-blakeman-canvass-in-amherst/

NY1 on the ceremony's politics: Hochul stood with Cuomo and de Blasio, Vance embraced Giuliani and Bloomberg, 9/11 widow Terry Strada used the podium to attack Saudi protection "administration after administration," and Blakeman attended to honor his nephew, court officer Thomas Jurgens

Speeches by politicians were barred, but the ceremony still turned political through family readers: Strada called out dignitaries for protecting Saudi Arabia and asked Vance to carry the message to Trump. NY1 reports the Mamdani–Giuliani meeting after weeks of Giuliani urging the mayor to stay away, and quotes Hochul's CNN line that animosity "seems to melt away" at the reflecting pools. Blakeman's campaign said he attended to honor Senior Court Officer Thomas Jurgans, who died evacuating people from the World Trade Center. No incident or protest involving Hochul or Mamdani was reported.

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.

The ceremony happened without incident: Mamdani attended Ground Zero as planned, shook hands with Giuliani on arrival, and no turned backs or protest were reported; Hochul, Vance, Bush, Clinton, Obama and Biden were in the elected-officials section

After a week in which Blakeman, Giuliani and Pataki urged Mamdani to stay away (Blakeman suggested attendees "turn their back on the mayor"), the 25th-anniversary reading of 2,753 names went ahead with the mayor and governor present. Footage shows Mamdani approaching Giuliani and the two shaking hands; Mamdani later said they exchanged pleasantries and kept the focus on families. No elected official spoke, consistent with the Memorial's post-2012 rule. Trump was at the Pentagon after reportedly being refused a speaking slot. Relevance to the governor's race: the walkout/protest Blakeman floated did not materialize, and Hochul's "voices of hatred should not prevail" line was not tested by any disruption. Secondary source: thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/6084719-mamdani-and-giuliani-shake-hands-at-9-11-commemoration/

On the morning of the 25th anniversary, Gothamist reports the Ground Zero ceremony has lost its apolitical footing: Giuliani, Pataki and Blakeman urged Mamdani to stay away, Hochul says "the voices of hatred should not prevail," and a Suffolk poll finds 74% of city voters think the mayor should attend

Gothamist's Sept. 11 morning piece frames the run-up to the commemoration as unusually political. Giuliani, Pataki and Blakeman all called on Mayor Mamdani not to attend; Mamdani is attending and seated in the elected-officials section near them. Hochul said this week it would be wrong for Mamdani to stay away: "This is a time when the voices of hatred should not prevail over the voices of those who say, 'Let us come together.'" The 9/11 Memorial and Museum says no elected official has spoken at the ceremony since 2012 and officials are invited "simply to bear witness." The story also notes the Democratic attack on Blakeman for appearing with congressional candidate Joel Anabilah-Azumah, who posted in 2024 that 9/11 was "an inside job"; Blakeman's representatives did not return a request for comment. A Suffolk University poll of NYC voters released this week found 74% said Mamdani should attend and 74% said the event should focus on victims and survivors. Trump is at the Pentagon; Vance is at the WTC site.

Primary-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 governor

Two PCFB commissioner reports for the approval to disburse public matching funds. The July 2 report (board meeting June 30) lists a single line: Governor, 580499-Blakeman for New York, Bruce Blakeman, treasurer Shawn Hyms, $1,201,055.22. The Sept. 1 report (board meeting Sept. 1) totals $1,975,488.85 across State Senate, Assembly, comptroller (DiNapoli $32,815.74) and attorney general (Komatireddy $33,112.68) committees; no gubernatorial committee appears. This is the first primary-source figure in our records for an actual matching-funds payment to Blakeman. It is lower than the $1.75M figure reported by City & State from the campaign's July filing, which we retain separately; the gap may reflect a later tranche or campaign-reported receipts not yet on a PCFB board report. Hochul opted out of the program. July report: https://pcfb.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2026/07/commissioner-report-for-the-approval-to-disburse-public-matching-funds-07.02.2026.pdf

Blakeman filmed an endorsement of Brooklyn congressional candidate Joel Anabilah-Azumah, whose 2024 post calling 9/11 "an inside job" is still up; Nadler and Velázquez call it appalling two days before the 25th anniversary

City & State's First Read (Sept. 9, Rebecca C. Lewis) reported an unlisted YouTube video in which Blakeman records an endorsement of Anabilah-Azumah, the Republican and Conservative nominee against Rep. Yvette Clarke, saying he "is going to make a great member of Congress." Anabilah-Azumah's 2024 X post says "9/11 was an inside job" and "history is pretty clear on that." The same video shows endorsements of Asm. Michael Novakhov and Sen. Steve Chan. Blakeman previously filmed with Rochester GOP leader Marcus Williams, who had shared a video blaming "Zionists" for 9/11. On Sept. 10 amNY reported Reps. Jerry Nadler and Nydia Velázquez condemning the endorsement; state Democratic spokesman Addison Dick called it "disqualifying." Neither the Blakeman nor the Anabilah-Azumah campaign responded to City & State. The story lands the same week Blakeman told 9/11 attendees to turn their backs on Mamdani. amNY article body could not be fetched; row built from the City & State text and search excerpts.

Headscarf fight reaches Nassau town hall: Muslim residents press North Hempstead board to condemn Blakeman's "Hijab Hochul" post; three council members sign a letter, the supervisor and three others have not

At the Tuesday, Sept. 8 North Hempstead Town Board meeting, Muslim residents asked officials to condemn Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman's social-media post captioned "Hijab Hochul. Kathy's Latest Costume: Whatever the Audience Wants," saying it was hurtful and fed Islamophobia. Resident Ali Mohamed asked the board's Republicans to sign a letter condemning the post; Council Members Robert Troiano Jr., Christine Liu and Mariann Dalimonte had signed the letter Troiano drafted. Speakers pressed Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and Council Members Dennis Walsh, Edward Scott and Yaron Levy, who had not signed, to add their names. Per Long Island Press, Sept. 9. The controversy row "Headscarf backlash and the 9/11 25th-anniversary commemoration" remains active.

Blakeman campaign releases a McLaughlin internal showing Hochul 49.6, Blakeman 45.7 among 800 likely voters (Aug 27-31); release omits margin of error, mode and question wording

On Sept. 8 the Blakeman campaign released a McLaughlin & Associates survey of 800 likely voters fielded Aug. 27-31: Hochul 49.6%, Blakeman 45.7%, undecided 4.7%. The campaign called the 3.9-point gap inside the margin of error but did not publish a numerical MOE, survey mode, weighting or question order. Other toplines from the release: Hochul 42/55 favorable/unfavorable, Blakeman 40/30 with 30% unfamiliar; 56% "time for someone new" vs 38% "deserves reelection"; among the 80% who said they knew both candidates, Blakeman led 52-44 (threshold undefined). Context: this is a campaign-sponsored poll from a Republican firm. The most recent independent poll, Siena Aug 3-6 LV, had Hochul 49-39; a Democratic-aligned Concord/ERN poll Aug 19-21 had 50-34. Logged in the polls table flagged is_partisan. No Hochul campaign response in the release.

State Democratic Committee takes "The Cost of Bruce Blakeman" tour to Western New York: Adrienne Adams, Rep. Tim Kennedy and Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan headline a Sept. 12 canvass launch in Amherst

The NYS Democratic Committee announced a Sept. 12 noon canvass launch in Amherst as part of its statewide "The Cost of Bruce Blakeman" tour. Listed participants: LG nominee Adrienne Adams, Rep. Tim Kennedy, Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan, WNY AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation president Denise Abbott and NYS AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer Rev. Terrance Melvin Sr. The party's framing: Blakeman's policies would raise costs and property taxes, plus criticism of his armed provisional-deputy program and 287(g) cooperation. The advisory is paid for by the state committee and says it was not authorized by any candidate committee, which keeps the spending off the Hochul campaign's books. No Blakeman response in the advisory. Location released only to credentialed press.

Hochul calls Blakeman's escalating "Hijab Hochul" attack "reprehensible"; Blakeman doubles down citing his nephew killed on 9/11 and ties her to Mamdani and "Global Intifada"

Sept. 3: The headscarf fight moved to a third round. After Blakeman's Sept. 1 post ("Hijab Hochul. Kathy's Latest Costume: Whatever the Audience Wants"), Hochul called the attack "reprehensible." Blakeman did not back off: in a statement invoking his nephew Tommy (state court officer Thomas Jurgens), killed on 9/11 while giving first aid to a burned woman, he said Hochul "has aligned yourself with Zohran Mamdani who won't speak against 'Global Intifada' which was the goal of his murderers." The Post noted Blakeman himself wore a head covering at a Sikh event last year. Hochul's office again cited the 2022 Ronkonkoma mosque visit and Officer Didarul Islam's funeral as precedent. This is the first time either side has used "reprehensible"; it follows Hochul's Sept. 2 on-camera answer ("says more about him") and her X reply to Trump. Logged Sept. 5 (missed Sept. 3-4 runs).

Backfill: Blakeman on Newsmax tells Hochul and Mamdani to skip the 25th-anniversary Ground Zero ceremony: "Hopefully they won't go, but if they do, turn your back on them"

Aug. 31: In a Newsmax "National Report" interview, Blakeman said he sympathizes with the current and retired Port Authority officers who asked Hochul and Mayor Mamdani to stay away from the Sept. 11 Ground Zero commemoration, and that if they attend anyway, attendees should stage a peaceful protest: "Hopefully they won't go, but if they do, turn your back on them." He compared the ceremony to a wake ("If you're asked not to attend a wake, you shouldn't attend"). Blakeman was a Port Authority commissioner on 9/11 and lost his nephew, state court officer Thomas Jurgens, in the South Tower collapse; the interview extends to Hochul a "turn your back" call he had previously aimed only at Mamdani (Aug. 5). Hochul's office has said she will attend and that Muslim New Yorkers were among the first responders. Missed by prior runs; logged Sept. 5 with the Matzav write-up as the accessible source (Newsmax segment is the original).

Blakeman tells JNS he would "take action" against Mayor Mamdani over "virulent antisemitic comments," says the governor has the power; describes becoming more religiously observant

In a Sept. 1 video interview with JNS (published Sept. 1, 9:12pm), Blakeman said that as governor he would tell Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stop making what he called "virulent antisemitic comments" and, if he did not, "take action against him, which the governor has the power to do." He said that during the 2024 Columbia encampment he "would have told the mayor to take control of the situation or I would." The interview also covers his personal religious observance: a kosher kitchen, Shabbat services roughly twice a month at the Jewish Center of Atlantic Beach, and his wife Segal Magori Blakeman's role in that shift. Blakeman did not specify which gubernatorial power he would use against a sitting mayor; state law provides a removal process under Public Officers Law §33 but it has never been used against a NYC mayor. Fits the established pattern (JTA June 1; Crown Heights July 15) of Blakeman framing the race around Mamdani.

Lawmakers press Hochul to act now on AI and data-center bills instead of the usual December veto-or-sign window; Blakeman opposes the data-center moratorium

Sept. 3 (7:18pm): hundreds of passed bills await Hochul's signature or veto, and sponsors of AI and big-tech measures argue the usual year-end wait is costlier when the technology changes daily. Sen. Michelle Hinchey wanted Hochul to sign by Labor Day a bipartisan bill requiring businesses to report to the Department of Labor how AI is displacing workers, cutting hours, creating jobs or leaving positions unfilled; Upstate United's Justin Wilcox backs it as "gather the data first." Sen. Kristen Gonzalez is touring the state pushing the data-center package (including a statutory one-year moratorium) that Hochul partially pre-empted with her July executive order. Hochul's office points to her AI commission and the EO. Blakeman says he opposes a moratorium and that the administration should already have written data-center regulations. Watch: the bill-action calendar runs through December.

Blakeman campaign mails official-looking "memorandums of tax assessment" to NYC homeowners, soliciting donations off the pied-à-terre list he criticized the city for releasing

City & State obtained a Blakeman for New York mail package sent to a Queens couple: a letter headed "memorandum of tax assessment" saying "according to our records, you own a secondary property" subject to the pied-à-terre tax, plus a Blakeman letter blaming "Kathy Hochul and Zohran Mamdani" and a $50+ contribution ask. The header reads "Not official government business" and the footer carries the required "Paid for by" disclosure. The recipients own one home and are not subject to the tax; the source who shared the photos said they panicked. The campaign did not answer how addresses were chosen; the likely source is the ~950,000-address Department of Finance list Blakeman had attacked the city for publishing. Election lawyer Sarah Steiner called it "manipulative scaremongering" but said it is technically legal. Note for readers: the tax is a city law the governor signed, but the rollout was the city's, not the state's.

Hochul answers Blakeman on the headscarf: "that says more about him than it does anybody else"; office cites 2022 Ronkonkoma mosque visit and Officer Islam's funeral as precedent

Hochul's first direct on-camera response to the headscarf pile-on: "I was invited as a guest, and I always wear the appropriate attire, whether I am going to a temple... an Orthodox community or... a catholic church in the Vatican." On Blakeman's Newsday remark that wearing a hijab and calling herself a feminist are incompatible: "I just love it when men lecture women on whether or not they are a feminist." Her office pointed to prior head coverings at a 2022 Ronkonkoma mosque that had been attacked and at the funeral of NYPD Officer Didarul Islam. Blakeman said his post was not an attack on Muslims and that he visits mosques regularly as county executive. CAIR-NY's Afaf Nasher said tying the visit to 9/11 is inappropriate. The visit was Friday Aug 28 at the Islamic Cultural Center of New York on the Upper East Side.

Steamfitters Local 638 endorses Blakeman, his campaign's latest building-trades pickup

Blakeman's campaign announced the endorsement of Steamfitters Local 638 UA, which represents welders, HVAC technicians and sprinkler fitters in NYC and Long Island. Business manager Robert "Bobby" Bartels Jr. framed it around energy bills, public safety and skilled-trades work. The announcement was a campaign press release; it did not describe the union's endorsement process or include a Hochul response, and no membership figure beyond "thousands" was given. It follows the intra-labor split logged in June–August, in which several building-trades locals broke from the AFL-CIO line on Hochul.

Blakeman posts the headscarf photo, calls it "political pandering" and "tone-deaf" before 9/11; Jewish Council for Public Affairs CEO calls his post Islamophobia

Blakeman's first public entry into the headscarf story: a social-media post depicting Hochul in the head covering, accusing her of "political pandering" he called "especially tone-deaf" less than two weeks before the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, responded on X: "There are far too many political leaders exploiting the 9/11 anniversary to (re)normalize Islamophobia — and it's disgusting." Blakeman, who is Jewish, has campaigned heavily on antisemitism and public safety. The same JTA item notes Hochul's campaign has her at a MET Council Rosh Hashanah food-distribution event in Brooklyn on Sept. 2 with Comptroller Mark Levine and Council Member Lincoln Restler. Blakeman's post is documented only through JTA's account; the post itself was not retrieved for this entry.

Backfill: Blakeman campaigns in Otsego County with running mate Todd Hood, pitching fire/EMS funding and Marcellus Shale drilling

Blakeman visited the Otsego County fire training center in Milford (Oneonta area) on Tuesday, Aug. 25, meeting emergency services personnel and filming a campaign video. He was joined by running mate Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood and comptroller candidate Joseph Hernandez, and repeated his pledge to "open up the Marcellus Shale to bring down energy costs." Notable: Hood is simultaneously a named plaintiff in Bourgault v. Hochul, the sheriffs' suit against the 287(g) ban.

Blakeman calls Trump's "Lake America" order "fun" and brushes off tariff questions while campaigning upstate

Campaigning with Onondaga County Republicans Friday, Blakeman called Trump's executive order renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America" "fun" and "not a serious thing," and declined to discuss the economic impact of the 50% Canada tariffs ("I can't say what's going on in Washington"). Republican Sen. George Borrello broke with him, calling the rename a distraction from trade issues and disrespectful of Indigenous naming; Hochul countered that a trade war with Canada means higher prices, and Gillibrand said Trump should focus on grocery costs.

State Democrats file BOE complaint over the Trump-Blakeman police academy rally; Blakeman calls it a "Hail Mary"

NYS Democratic chair Jay Jacobs filed a complaint Aug 28 with the state Board of Elections claiming Blakeman used county funds, facilities and personnel for the Aug 14 rally with President Trump at the Nassau police academy — an event Trump himself called "a Rally in Nassau County in honor of Bruce Blakeman" on Truth Social. Jacobs asked DELE and the Public Campaign Finance Board to investigate unreported, over-the-limit in-kind contributions, assess the fair market value of the county resources used, and deem the campaign unfit for public matching funds. Blakeman called the complaint "a Hail Mary by the Hochul team." Second Jacobs BOE complaint of the cycle, after the AI-ads complaint.

State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez urges Hochul to sign a data-center moratorium bill that goes beyond her executive order

Sen. Kristen Gonzalez on Aug 27 urged Hochul to sign the data-center moratorium bill (S10642/A11560), which advocates say fills gaps in the one-year moratorium Hochul imposed by executive order in July (EO 62). Blakeman opposes any statewide moratorium and says local governments should be free to strike their own deals with tech companies for data-center projects — a clean policy contrast in the governor's race.

Blakeman on Capital Tonight: Nassau will file its own complaint against the 287(g) ban, and he disputes the Siena poll's funding

In a Capital Tonight interview (aired Aug 26, 7:30pm), Blakeman said Nassau will comply with the 287(g) ban but file a SEPARATE complaint piggybacking on the sheriffs' Bourgault suit — "my sheriff is appointed," so Nassau is "in a different situation than the other sheriffs." He said the law was "written with the blood of the victims of illegal migrants" and claimed "there were no deaths at the hands of ICE in Nassau County"; the Hochul campaign rebutted by citing an ICE detainee found dead in a Nassau County jail cell in September 2025. On polling, he cited internal numbers and a co/efficient survey putting him "within four points," and claimed the Siena poll is funded by New York State — Siena spokesman Steve Greenberg said the poll is funded by ReconMR under a licensing agreement and receives no state money. Declined to defend Trump's Canada tariffs: "I'm running for governor."

Blakeman launches digital ads reviving Hochul's 2024 "Black kids ... computer" remark, calling it a racial stereotype

The Blakeman campaign launched a digital ad campaign Aug 26 targeting Hochul over her May 2024 Milken Institute remark that "young Black kids growing up in the Bronx ... don't even know what the word computer is" — a comment she said the same day she regretted ("I misspoke"). The campaign characterized the remark as a racial stereotype and said video and related material would run across major social platforms immediately. The release did not disclose the ad spend or how long the ads will run.

Blakeman backs down: Nassau will comply with the 287(g) ban, but he is joining the sheriffs' suit

On Aug. 26 at a news conference, Bruce Blakeman said Nassau County will yield to the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act provision dissolving its 287(g) agreement with ICE — ending the standoff in which Nassau was the last undecided holdout past the Aug. 25 deadline. He said he will still instruct county police to cooperate with ICE "whenever possible," and that he will join the federal suit filed by 15 sheriffs (Bourgault v. Hochul, N.D.N.Y.) challenging the law. Blakeman: "This law is written in the blood of victims past, present and future... I am a law-and-order county executive. I believe in the rule of law, even when it's a bad law." He also said that going forward "every murder, every rape, every robbery, every burglary, every drug overdose committed by an illegal migrant is on the hands of Kathy Hochul and the Democrats." Hochul, speaking at the State Fair, said: "We have made dramatic progress. We didn't need any 287(g) agreements... I want local police using local taxpayer dollars to focus on catching local criminals." Reporting context in the same piece: 13 jurisdictions had formal agreements when the ban was enacted in May; Nassau has held more than 1,000 people at its East Meadow jail for ICE since October 2025, the most of any New York county; and Newsday reported that between February 2025 and March 2026, 147 immigrants detained at the Nassau jail had prior violent-crime convictions — under 5% of those arrested. A Hochul spokesperson did not immediately comment on Blakeman's announcement.

Blakeman's running mate, Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood, is a named plaintiff in the sheriffs' suit against Hochul

Court papers name all fifteen sheriffs who sued in the Northern District of New York on Aug. 25, the day the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act took effect: Broome (Frederick Akshar), Cattaraugus (Eric Butler), Cayuga (Brian Schenck), Delaware (Craig DuMond), Franklin (Jay Cook), Fulton (Richard Giardino), Jefferson (Peter Barnett), Lewis (Michael Carpinelli), Madison (Todd Hood), Orange (Paul Arteta), Oswego (Don Hilton), Rensselaer (Kyle Bourgault), Saratoga (Jeffrey Brown), St. Lawrence (Patrick Engle) and Wayne (Robert Milby). Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and the State of New York are named defendants. Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood is Bruce Blakeman's running mate on the Republican ticket, so a candidate on the GOP statewide slate is now a plaintiff against the governor his ticket is trying to unseat. Hood entered Madison County into a 287(g) agreement in July 2025, was warned by the AG's office in July 2026, agreed to end the agreement as the law requires, and said he still intends to honor ICE detainer requests at the county jail. Onondaga County Sheriff Toby Shelley, who declined to cooperate with ICE in 2025, is not a plaintiff. The suit argues the agreements are authorized by Congress and that no state executive can bar independently elected sheriffs from entering them.

Third pro-Blakeman super PAC registers: Trump adviser Jason Meister files "Defend Empire State" with the state Board of Elections

Jason Meister, a risk-insurance executive who sits on a Trump advisory board, registered an independent-expenditure super PAC called Defend Empire State with the NYS Board of Elections and told the New York Post he intends to raise millions to defeat Hochul and elect Blakeman. It is the third pro-Blakeman outside group to surface, after Make it Cheaper (donors still undisclosed) and Strong and Safe. Meister previously ran the Defend NYC PAC against Mamdani in the 2025 mayoral race, which took $1 million each from Bill Ackman and Joseph Gebbia late in that contest. No contributions to Defend Empire State have been reported yet; as a super PAC it can accept unlimited donations. The same article reports Strong and Safe has spent more than $1 million on anti-Hochul advertising and that Hochul and the state party hold roughly a 4-to-1 cash edge, about $40 million, per recent filings.

Hochul campaign hits Blakeman over his support for Trump's tariffs after the 50% duty on Canadian goods

Friends for Kathy Hochul issued a statement on Aug 25 attacking Blakeman for backing Trump's tariffs, arguing the 50% tariff on Canadian goods raises consumer costs and hurts the state economy, and comparing the policy to Depression-era protectionism. Spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki called Blakeman one of Trump's strongest tariff supporters. The release carried no response from Blakeman or the administration. This is a campaign statement, not an independent finding.

Rensselaer County will sue to strike down New York's 287(g) ban; Blakeman is the last undecided holdout on deadline day

Rensselaer County announced Aug. 24 it will join a federal lawsuit to strike down the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, the law Hochul signed in May voiding all 287(g) ICE agreements in New York effective Aug. 25. Sheriff Kyle Bourgault, whose office has held an agreement since 2018, will be a plaintiff. County Executive Steve McLaughlin said the state has not explained how the change improves public safety. WAMC reports 11 of the 12 other notified jurisdictions have said they will withdraw by the deadline. Nassau County Executive and Republican gubernatorial nominee Bruce Blakeman is the exception: "We're still talking with our lawyers. They're reviewing the process. I'll make a decision shortly." Saratoga County Sheriff Jeff Brown has said he will sign on to the suit though his county has no 287(g) agreement. The suit had not been filed and the plaintiff list is not public as of Aug. 24.

Blakeman tells Livingston County GOP rally Hochul is "the worst governor in the United States of America"

Blakeman spoke for nearly 30 minutes to more than 120 people at the Avon Inn on Monday evening (reported Aug 19), hosted by the Livingston County Republican Committee alongside Rep. Claudia Tenney, Sen. Pamela Helming and Assemblywoman Andrea Bailey. He tied Hochul to Mayor Mamdani ("Comrade Kathy"), called New York 50th of 50 in economic outlook and "the most overtaxed state," said electric bills run 70 percent above the national average because of a "green energy scam," and called the ban on extracting Southern Tier natural gas "a crime," recounting Trump telling him "drill, baby, drill." He also criticized cashless bail, sanctuary policies, and S.9316's gender-neutral parentage language. The reporter noted Blakeman never used the word "affordable" though it was printed on his podium sign.

Blakeman calls farmland solar "a total scam" at Batavia stop, urges drilling New York natural gas

At an Aug 16 GLOW-region stop at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Ag Education Center in Batavia (reported Aug 19), Blakeman called utility-scale solar on farmland "a total scam," alleging out-of-state and foreign developers collect subsidies while donating to Hochul, and said New York should extract its own natural gas reserves instead. He also claimed New York electric bills run 70 percent above the national average across 48 rate increases under Hochul, and that the state spends about $8 billion on services for people in the country illegally, roughly $81,000 per person. Both figures are fact-checked separately. He pledged not to forget upstate regions and pointed to his 12-point 2025 Nassau reelection in a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 110,000.

Blakeman's running mate's own sheriff's office drops its ICE deal; 7 New York agencies still hold 287(g) agreements a week before the deadline

Per ICE's own website, 7 of the original 12 New York law enforcement agencies still hold 287(g) agreements ahead of the Aug 25 state deadline: Broome, Cattaraugus, Nassau, Niagara, Rensselaer and Steuben counties plus the Nassau County Police Department. The Madison County Sheriff's Office is the latest to dissolve its agreement, citing compliance with the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act; Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood is Bruce Blakeman's running mate for lieutenant governor. Broome County officials say they house no federal detainees and will follow state law. ICE's monthly 287(g) encounter reports list a single New York encounter across May, June and July 2026 - two individuals in Cattaraugus County on June 5.

Days after refusing to visit, Hochul joins DEC commissioner's weekend calls to Niagara homeowners; residents still seek relocation

Homeowners on Fox and Chester avenues in the Town of Niagara said DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton called them Saturday, Aug 15, and resident Kellie Moytka said Hochul joined her call personally — three days after Hochul said at an Aug 13 Chautauqua County press event that an in-person meeting was unnecessary and that she did not want to politicize residents' "cries for help." Moytka told WIVB she was "caught off guard," said she pressed for permanent relocation, and said Hochul indicated her office is deferring to EPA to lead on that question. Lexi Hawk of Save Our Backyards Niagara missed Lefton's call and is still seeking a face-to-face meeting. Hochul energy communications adviser Ken Lovett said Monday the governor directed DEC and the Department of Health to coordinate with EPA and that EPA has offered to voluntarily relocate several families while testing continues. Jocelyn and Daniel McKiernan, who found potentially hazardous material in their 99th Street yard, said they received no weekend call and got an EPA letter last week saying the federal agency will only engage on their property if the state DEC requests assistance first. Blakeman and Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt are backing Ortt's bill to extend the state superfund law to radiological contamination; Hochul's office says the change would take months of rulemaking and hiring and that EPA's Superfund program is already equipped.

EPA regional administrator rebuts Hochul in letter: federal work already accelerated, 1,200 Niagara properties visited

EPA Region 2 Administrator Mike Martucci wrote to Gov. Hochul on Monday, Aug 10, defending the federal role in the Niagara County radiological assessment and saying her July 14 request to accelerate the work was unnecessary because it was already happening. "Everything we can speed up — access agreements, field work, deeper sampling, and potential cleanups, where needed — is being accelerated," Martucci wrote, describing EPA as "surging resources and manpower" into Niagara and Erie counties with dozens of expert staff working alongside NYSDEC. He put numbers to it: since July 23, EPA and state teams have visited more than 1,200 properties, obtained property-access permission from 756 homeowners, and screened 350 properties, working seven days a week. Martucci had earlier called Hochul's claim of EPA testing delays an "outright lie"; in this letter he wrote that EPA's focus is "ensuring the resources needed are provided without delay – and without regard to partisan politics." Hochul's July 14 letter had blamed the "wheels of federal bureaucracy" for leaving families waiting. Hochul senior communications adviser Ken Lovett responded Wednesday that public health and safety are the governor's first priority and that she directed a surge of NYSDEC and State Incident Management Team resources. Blakeman and Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt are pushing to amend New York's superfund law to cover radiological contamination; Hochul's office argues EPA is better equipped for radiological cleanups and that the Ortt approach would require additional specialized DEC staff and cause delays.

Hochul declines to visit Niagara radiation neighborhood, calls Blakeman's trip a "political show"

Asked in Chautauqua County on Aug 13 whether she would follow Blakeman and Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt to the contaminated Town of Niagara neighborhood, Hochul said no: "I have seen people go up there and politicize their cries for help... I go there, it's a political show, and I'm not going to use politics to capitalize on people's misery." She said more than 160 state personnel from DEC, DOH and emergency management are working the response and that state aerial and road surveys helped identify hotspots. Homeowner Lexi Hawk, whose property DEC and EPA confirmed contaminated on June 29, told Spectrum News her request for a visit predated Blakeman's appearance; four residents wrote Hochul on July 7 asking for testing data, relocation help, a State Superfund designation and an in-home meeting by July 10, which did not happen. Hawk also said the original property-access agreement contained language waiving reimbursement claims against the government; that language was later removed. Separately, Ortt introduced S.10672, which would classify nuclear and radioactive waste as hazardous waste so affected sites could be remediated through the state Hazardous Waste Superfund; it sits in the Senate Rules Committee and cannot advance while the Legislature is out of session.

NYT: Trump attacks Hochul on crime while Nassau's violent crime rose in Blakeman's first three years before falling in 2025

The New York Times' account of Friday's Garden City event adds crime-record context to both campaigns' claims. Trump called Hochul "very very bad on crime — a nightmare for crime"; Blakeman thanked him for border enforcement and invoked the killing of Sheridan Gorman. The Times reports New York statewide violent crime was 6,669 higher in 2021 than 2019, began falling by 2024, and index crime dropped about 10 percent this spring versus a comparable 2022 period — a trajectory that closely tracked national trends, with the 2026 national murder rate at a decades low. In Nassau, violent crime rose roughly 350 incidents in 2022, Blakeman's first year as county executive, kept climbing through 2023 and 2024, and fell in 2025; index crime peaked in 2023. Trump also said he would uphold qualified immunity and characterized New York's ICE limits as an obstacle to federal deportations; Hochul and James said before the event that they intend to enforce the state laws.

Blakeman disputes Siena poll showing Hochul up 10, calls race "neck and neck"

A day after Siena's first likely-voter poll put Hochul ahead 49-39, Blakeman rejected the result, saying "all of the polls we have seen in the last two months have us virtually tied with Kathy Hochul" and hitting Hochul on taxes, electric bills and crime. No public poll in that window shows a tie; the closest, a Red Oak Strategic poll commissioned by the pro-Blakeman Strong and Safe super PAC, showed Hochul up 4.

NYS Democratic chair Jacobs files BOE complaint over Blakeman's AI ads, alleging violation of 2026 disclosure law

State Democratic Committee chair Jay Jacobs filed a complaint Aug 10 with the State Board of Elections alleging Blakeman's AI-generated ads depicting Hochul and Mamdani violate the 2026 election law requiring "materially deceptive media" in political communications to carry a "has been manipulated" disclosure. Blakeman calls the ads satire and says Democrats are "trying to cheat." Also: https://patch.com/new-york/longisland/state-democrats-file-complaint-over-blakeman-s-ai-ads-accuse-county-exec

Blakeman leans on Trump playbook to energize upstate Republicans, rallying with Constantino at Great Sacandaga Lake

Siena: Hochul leads Blakeman 49-39 in first likely-voter poll — lead halved from June

Siena's first likely-voter poll of the cycle (811 LV, Aug 3-6, MOE +/-4.2) has Hochul up 49-39 — half her 52-32 June lead among registered voters. Blakeman leads the suburbs 49-41 and independents 45-40; Hochul leads NYC 64-19. Blakeman's favorability improved to 33-26, though 40% still don't know enough about him. Voters prefer Hochul on affordable housing (+16) and prices (+7); 52-25 support her data-center moratorium. Likely-voter screens typically tighten races, but this is the closest public head-to-head from a nonpartisan pollster this cycle.

Dog days on the trail: Hochul pushes $120 child food benefit on Lower East Side as Blakeman courts Flushing business leaders

Both candidates worked NYC on Aug 11. At Grand Street Settlement on the Lower East Side, Hochul urged eligible families to apply for the $120-per-child Summer EBT food benefit before its Sept 8 deadline. Blakeman met business leaders in Flushing, Queens, and previewed Trump's Friday Nassau visit, saying the president "wants to honor our police officers, our deputy sheriffs, our corrections officers." Under three months to Election Day.

Blakeman takes radiation fight to Town of Niagara, accuses Hochul of "hands-off" response to contaminated properties

Campaigning Saturday with the grassroots group Save Our Backyards Niagara, Blakeman accused Hochul of failing to "take charge" of the radioactive-contamination issue affecting homeowners on Chester and Fox avenues in the Town of Niagara. Second WNY environmental attack stop in a week after the Catskills solar event; Hochul's office had previously demanded the EPA speed its Niagara-Erie radiological review (July), saying no acute risks were found.

Trump to tour Nassau police academy Friday with Blakeman, Blanche and Patel — same day as 287(g) filing deadline

President Trump will visit the Nassau County Police Academy on Friday, Aug. 14 with AG Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel to tout the FBI 2025 crime report; Blakeman, who is running for governor, welcomed the visit. First Trump Long Island appearance since the 2024 Coliseum rally. Same day as the state's Aug. 14 filing deadline for agencies with 287(g) agreements, including Nassau's.

Blakeman takes campaign national on Sunday Morning Futures, contrasting NY and Florida budgets

Blakeman appeared on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures (Aug 9), arguing Hochul has made a "far-left pivot," comparing New York's budget unfavorably with Florida's, and pointing to progressive influence in state politics. A national Sunday-show hit aimed at Republican donors and base voters; no new policy proposals were announced.

Blakeman takes "green energy scam" attack to the Catskills, targeting 1,200-acre solar project

Blakeman rallied at Forestburgh town hall (Jul 30) against RWE's proposed Town Line Solar project — 200MW solar plus 100MW battery storage across 1,200+ acres in Thompson and Forestburgh — calling state renewable siting "Kathy Hochul's scam on all the ratepayers" and pledging "I will end the green energy scam" as governor. Joined by Sen. Peter Oberacker and Assemblymember Chris Tague. He attacked ORES as state "big-footing" of local communities. RWE spokesperson countered that the project meets growing electricity demand and brings tens of millions in local tax revenue. Backfilled from Jul 31 Radio Catskill report; makes utility-scale solar siting an explicit general-election issue.

Blakeman campaign finance chair's law firm nets $730K in Nassau County contracts signed before legislative approval

The Nassau legislature approved two legal-representation contracts totaling $730,000 for Abrams Fensterman LLP, the firm founded by Howard Fensterman — finance chair of Blakeman's gubernatorial campaign. The contracts were signed in May, months before the legislature formally approved them. Blakeman's campaign received a combined $43,000 from firm-linked donors in the six months before the award. Ethics experts told La Voce the process lacked the transparency needed to dispel favoritism concerns. Fensterman recruited Blakeman to the firm in 2007.

Blakeman calls Kalshi lawsuit "hypocritical," says Hochul walked away from deal he pegs at $10B over five years

Campaigning in Albany Aug. 5, Blakeman attacked the state's lawsuit against prediction-market platform Kalshi, arguing Hochul should have accepted a proposed settlement — a 6% tax on prediction-market trades that, per Wall Street Journal reporting cited by Blakeman, could have generated $10B over five years. He called the suit hypocritical given last year's casino approvals and framed prediction markets as personal choice. Hochul's office responded that Kalshi "blatantly violated state law," put consumers including minors at risk, and that "weak attempts to self-regulate are meaningless." The suit seeks fines and restitution that could total $36B.

Federal judge splits ruling on NY immigration laws: mask ban for ICE agents blocked, 287(g) agreement ban upheld

U.S. District Judge Mae D'Agostino (NDNY) ruled Monday evening, Aug. 3, on the DOJ's challenge to the immigration measures Hochul signed in May. She granted a preliminary injunction against the provisions barring federal agents from wearing masks and requiring visible identification, finding they likely interfere with federal law enforcement operations. She denied the injunction against the ban on 287(g) agreements, siding with the state that it is "an appropriate means of furthering New York's legitimate interests." Hochul and AG James said they are reviewing legal options on the mask ban while calling the 287(g) portion a win. The upheld ban directly bears on Nassau's Aug. 25 wind-down deadline.

MSG money surfaces behind pro-Blakeman "Strong and Safe" super PAC: $700K from Dolan companies plus $300K transfer

Campaign finance records show MSG Entertainment and MSG Sports each contributed $350,000 in July 2026 to Strong and Safe, the super PAC backing Bruce Blakeman — a combined $700,000 from James Dolan's companies. Dolan's Coalition to Restore New York, which has received $2 million from MSG, also transferred $300,000 to the PAC, putting roughly $1 million in identified receipts behind a group whose funders had been entirely unreported. The PAC's total raised and spending remain undisclosed.

Blakeman pledges to lift fracking ban and attacks Hochul's data-center moratorium in Central NY swing

Backfill: coverage of Blakeman's Jul 18 Central NY swing (Van Buren, Onondaga County) finally surfaced via syracuse.com (published Jul 20, syndicated via TNS). Blakeman said data centers "could bring jobs and lower energy costs" if developers build their own power generation and water recirculation systems, and attacked Hochul's statewide data-center moratorium: "Waving the white flag, as Kathy Hochul has done, is the reason why we're No. 50 in economic outlook in the whole United States of America." He also pledged to lift New York's hydraulic-fracturing ban, called the state's clean-energy policies a "green energy scam," and said Trump told him to "drill, baby, drill." Campaigned alongside LG candidate Todd Hood and NY-22 challenger Kailee Buller. This is the first on-record Blakeman counter-position to EO 62 and the first explicit fracking-ban repeal pledge of the campaign.

Pro-Blakeman super PAC poll shows race at 47-43; public polling last had Hochul up 20

A Red Oak Strategic poll commissioned by the pro-Blakeman "Strong and Safe" super PAC — a previously unreported committee — puts Hochul at 47%, Blakeman 43%, 10% undecided among 2,000 registered voters surveyed Jul 7-12 (MOE ±2.2). It also reports Hochul approval at 39/56 and Blakeman leading independents 54-33. The partisan-sponsored numbers contrast sharply with Siena's June public poll, which had Hochul up 52-32.

Blakeman says Democrats will try to "cheat," won't commit to accepting election results without caveat

At a Penn Station press conference Jul 29, Blakeman said Democrats have "consistently tried to cheat" and would accept the outcome only "if the results of the elections are fair." Asked for evidence, his campaign cited two examples: the PCFB's since-reversed denial of his matching funds and his exclusion from speaking at the Dominican Day Parade. On Fox Business that morning he said Democrats would attempt to "steal" the election; the state BOE said the New Jersey registration error he cited could not occur under New York's system. Hochul's campaign called it "embracing Trump's election denial lies." The same presser included attacks on Mamdani's tax policies.

Blakeman blocked from speaking at Dominican Day Parade; organizers cite his ties to Trump

Blakeman was barred from speaking at the Dominican Day Parade, with organizers citing his representation of Trump's agenda, per the NY Post (Jul 27). Backfilled from prior window: the incident became one of the two examples Blakeman's campaign cites as evidence of Democratic "cheating" in the governor's race.

Blakeman attacks Hochul for praising Bragg after she suggests he could one day be U.S. attorney general

Speaking Sunday Jul 26 at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, Hochul praised Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and — after briefly misspeaking "AG" for "DA" — said he could one day become U.S. attorney general. Blakeman called Bragg "the most soft-on-crime DA in the state," saying under him "violent offenders get charges knocked down" and "repeat criminals walk free." Hochul's team stood by the remarks. Bragg prosecuted the Trump hush-money case; crime framing is central to Blakeman's campaign.

Blakeman attacks Hochul and Mamdani over "inheritance tax," says family homes and farms could be forced into sale

In a Sunday X post with video, Blakeman claimed Hochul and NYC Mayor Mamdani "want to increase the number of people subject to an inheritance tax," arguing family farms, businesses and homes would have to be sold to pay it, and pledged to "stop it" as governor. The post does not cite a specific Hochul proposal; New York levies an estate tax (not an inheritance tax), and no current Hochul proposal to expand it was identified in the article or accessible reporting.

Blakeman won't say whether Nassau will comply with 287(g) wind-down order; lawyers reviewing, written response promised by Aug. 14

After the AG's Office of Immigrant Trust ordered Nassau to unwind its 287(g) agreement by Aug. 25, Blakeman said county police and sheriff's department lawyers are reviewing the law and the letter, with a written response due by Aug. 14. He has taken no action to change the agreement and says other county officials with similar deals are exploring separate legal options. Blakeman vowed in May to defy the state limits ("make my day"). Sets up a direct legal collision between the sitting governor and her challenger in his own county weeks before early voting.

Blakeman files amended report adding $1.6M in unreported contributions — total now ~$11.4M, with two dozen donations over the general-election limit

A week after his July periodic filing came in at least $3M short of his campaign's claimed $11M raised, Blakeman filed an amended report (posted on the BOE site Jul 22) adding $1.6M in previously unreported contributions — March–July donations now $4.6M vs the $3M originally recorded — plus $1.4M in previously unreported spending ($3.2M vs $1.8M) and the additional $1.2M in public matching funds. BOE records now show ~$11.4M brought in since his December launch. Previously unreported donors include Brittany Kaiser ($18,000), Charles F. Dolan ($18,000) and the Transit Supervisors Organization PAC ($9,000); an initial review found at least two dozen donations over the $9,000 general-election limit, half of which must be returned since he had no primary. His campaign blamed BOE tech issues; a BOE spokesperson said she is not aware of any technical problems with the reporting system. Blakeman also amended his March report (closing balance $1.6M → $2.2M) — his January filing previously went through four versions.

Blakeman calls for statewide halt on battery storage facilities, citing East Hampton fire

Blakeman called Jul 23 for an immediate statewide halt to battery storage facilities until regulators can guarantee safety, tying it to an East Hampton battery fire and alleging PFAS-contaminated runoff reached groundwater. His campaign release asserted independent testing found PFAS but published no test results. He accused the Hochul administration of withholding information about the incident, cited Niagara County radioactive waste and the Bethpage Grumman plume as state failures, and repeated his pledge to cut utility bills in half without explaining how.

Blakeman vows to reverse New York's all-electric buildings law and restore natural gas in new construction

Blakeman called the state's all-electric mandate for most new buildings "unscientific" and "unaffordable," arguing it raises housing costs and that the grid can't handle the added demand, and pledged to reverse the natural-gas restrictions if elected. The law, phasing in over the coming years under the CLCPA framework Hochul backs, targets one of the state's largest emissions sources. The vow puts the in-progress All-Electric Buildings Act promise squarely on the November ballot, alongside his earlier pledges to rescind the data-center moratorium and cap-and-invest.

Bills owners' first Hochul checks since the $600M stadium deal surface in itemized BOE filings; Hochul holds $21M to Blakeman's $4.6M

Itemized July BOE filings reviewed by Jimmy Vielkind show Terry Pegula gave $138,600 to the Democratic State Committee and $18,000 to Hochul's campaign in January, with Kim Pegula adding $18,000 — the Pegulas' first contributions since the 2022 $600M state stadium appropriation. Terry Pegula is one of 16 individuals who maxed out to the DSC since Blakeman declared. Other major committee donors: Melinda French Gates, the New York Apartment Association, hotel and construction unions, real estate developers, and hedge fund managers. Hochul's campaign raised $5.8M since January and reported $21M on hand at the start of July; the DSC raised $11.4M across two accounts. Blakeman reported $4.6M on hand, $7.4M raised since his re-election ($3M of it from his old county committee and the Nassau GOP), and ~$770K of a possible $3.5M in public matching funds; his campaign says an amended report is coming. NYPIRG's Blair Horner: "Money follows power."

Hochul rolls out nearly 100 Albany County endorsements as Tonko casts Blakeman as a "mini-Trump"; Blakeman hammers energy costs

Hochul's campaign rolled out endorsements from nearly 100 Albany County elected officials Friday, including Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs and County Executive Dan McCoy, at an event tying Blakeman to Trump — Rep. Paul Tonko called him a "mini-Trump" and cited his tariff support and White House Rose Garden appearance. Blakeman, who appeared with construction leaders earlier in the week, countered that Hochul's energy mandates force families to pay "up to 70% more for electricity" and pledged to "scrap this green energy scam" and bring back natural gas. Hochul appears with AG Letitia James and union leaders in Manhattan Saturday.

Blakeman's July filing shows $3M raised — far short of the $11M his campaign touted

Blakeman's July periodic report, filed Wednesday evening, shows about $3M raised since March and $4.6M cash on hand as of July 11 — against the nearly $11M his finance chair Howard Fensterman claimed to the NY Post. Total direct donations since launch: ~$4.1M. Adding ~$1M in transfers from the Nassau and Suffolk GOP, prior transfers from his county executive account, and ~$770K in first-round public matching funds, his total is roughly $8M. He has qualified for an additional $1.2M in matching funds (PCFB, Jul 2) not yet reported as received; his campaign says it will file an amended report and stands by the $11M figure. Hochul had not filed her July report as of Wednesday night; her campaign announced $5.6M raised and $20M+ on hand.

Blakeman vows to rescind Hochul's "crazy" data-center moratorium if elected

Blakeman escalated his opposition to EO 62 from criticism to a concrete campaign pledge: he would rescind the one-year hyperscale data-center moratorium, calling it "crazy" and arguing data centers keep New York competitive in the AI race. He says local governments should be free to strike their own deals with tech companies. Trump also attacked the order on Truth Social this week, making the moratorium an early general-election fault line.

Blakeman tours Crown Heights with GOP officials, campaigns on antisemitism concerns

The Crown Heights Republican Committee hosted Blakeman for a neighborhood tour and discussion focused on rising antisemitic incidents and Jewish community concerns, joined by Republican elected officials from Jewish communities statewide — part of his outreach in heavily Democratic Brooklyn.

Hochul signs nation's first statewide data-center moratorium; Blakeman says localities should cut their own deals

Hochul signed EO 62 on July 14, pausing state environmental permits for new hyperscale data centers (coverage cites 50+ MW projects) for up to a year while DPS writes statewide standards on energy demand, water use and air quality. She framed it around utility bills, added a Community Investment Framework for localities (due in 60 days), a proposed repeal of data-center sales-tax exemptions, and a new DIGIT office that will start with regulating large frontier-AI developers. The Legislature passed its own moratorium bill in June, which she has not signed. Blakeman opposed the freeze, saying Hochul "doesn't work with local governments and business leaders to figure out how to get things done" and that localities should be free to strike data-center deals with economic benefits.