A Civic Pulse publication
The accountability feed

News

Vetted coverage of Governor Hochul's administration, grouped by day. Every item names its publication and carries a source-credibility tier — Tier 1 primary/wire, Tier 2 established outlet, Tier 3 secondary. No spin; each story links to its original source.

15 items

Jul 30, 2026

3
NY Post via AlgemeinerTIER 2High

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.

City & State NYTIER 1High

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.

Jul 28, 2026

1
NY Post (via AOL)TIER 2

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.

Jul 27, 2026

1
BenzingaTIER 2

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.

Jul 25, 2026

1
City & State NYTIER 1High

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.

Jul 24, 2026

2
City & State NYTIER 1High

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.

Fingerlakes1.comTIER 3

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.

Jul 20, 2026

1
Mid Hudson NewsTIER 2

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.

Jul 17, 2026

2
NY Public News Network / GothamistTIER 1High

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."

Spectrum News / NY State of PoliticsTIER 1

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.

Jul 16, 2026

2
City & State NYTIER 1High

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.

Spectrum NY1TIER 2

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.

Jul 15, 2026

1

Jul 14, 2026

1
Governor's Office / AP / Washington Post / NY1TIER 1High

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.