NY Governor Primary Battle Takes Shape as Blakeman Weighs In
New York State Republicans are bracing for what promises to be a contentious primary battle next year, with several candidates vying for the top spot. However, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is refusing to back down from his intention to throw his hat into the ring despite party leaders' warnings that they won't be having a primary.
Blakeman, who has been traveling the state in recent days, claims he has a strong base of support on Long Island, where he resides, and believes it's crucial for any Republican candidate hoping to unseat Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul. He says his experience connecting with voters in Nassau County and Suffolk County will serve him well in the statewide campaign.
"I think I have a base and a springboard for becoming a governor that's much stronger than anybody else," Blakeman told reporters. "Because if you're not rolling up big numbers in Nassau County and Suffolk County as a Republican, you have no shot to become the governor of the state."
His comments come after Rep. Elise Stefanik launched her gubernatorial campaign earlier this week, vowing to deny Hochul a second term and rolling out a broad slate of endorsements from GOP officials.
However, the road ahead for any Republican candidate is fraught with challenges. The party is outnumbered in New York by Democrats, who dominate the state's 29 congressional districts and have controlled the state legislature since 2011. No Republican has won statewide office in New York since George Pataki won his third term as governor in 2002.
Despite these obstacles, Blakeman remains confident that he can overcome them with a strong campaign. "Competition is good," he said. "If people think that I'm the best candidate and that I would make the best governor, they'll make their voices heard in the party. And if they think it's Elise, then I'll support Elise 100%."
But with President Donald Trump potentially throwing his weight behind one of the candidates, which could sway Republican Party officials' decision on whether to back a primary, the stage is set for an intense battle that could have far-reaching implications for New York politics.
New York State Republicans are bracing for what promises to be a contentious primary battle next year, with several candidates vying for the top spot. However, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is refusing to back down from his intention to throw his hat into the ring despite party leaders' warnings that they won't be having a primary.
Blakeman, who has been traveling the state in recent days, claims he has a strong base of support on Long Island, where he resides, and believes it's crucial for any Republican candidate hoping to unseat Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul. He says his experience connecting with voters in Nassau County and Suffolk County will serve him well in the statewide campaign.
"I think I have a base and a springboard for becoming a governor that's much stronger than anybody else," Blakeman told reporters. "Because if you're not rolling up big numbers in Nassau County and Suffolk County as a Republican, you have no shot to become the governor of the state."
His comments come after Rep. Elise Stefanik launched her gubernatorial campaign earlier this week, vowing to deny Hochul a second term and rolling out a broad slate of endorsements from GOP officials.
However, the road ahead for any Republican candidate is fraught with challenges. The party is outnumbered in New York by Democrats, who dominate the state's 29 congressional districts and have controlled the state legislature since 2011. No Republican has won statewide office in New York since George Pataki won his third term as governor in 2002.
Despite these obstacles, Blakeman remains confident that he can overcome them with a strong campaign. "Competition is good," he said. "If people think that I'm the best candidate and that I would make the best governor, they'll make their voices heard in the party. And if they think it's Elise, then I'll support Elise 100%."
But with President Donald Trump potentially throwing his weight behind one of the candidates, which could sway Republican Party officials' decision on whether to back a primary, the stage is set for an intense battle that could have far-reaching implications for New York politics.
so Blakeman wants 2 throw his hat into the ring and challenge Hochul, but party leaders r like no way dude 
he thinks hes got a strong base in Nassau & Suffolk counties tho which might actually b true cuz hes been out there talkin 2 voters and all that jazz 
anyway Rep Stefanik just launched her campaign and its lookin like a full-on primary battle now 
President Trump might even get involved and throw some weight behind one of the candidates, which would be super sus 
either way its gonna b an interesting yr for NY pols 
! Blakeman's confidence is kinda inspiring, you know? He's like, "Hey, I've got a strong base on Long Island and I can take on Hochul!" 
But we gotta be real, the GOP has a tough road ahead of 'em. Those Democrats have been in control for ages 
The thing is, though, who's gonna come out on top? Can any of them take down Hochul and make a real difference for NY? We'll just have to keep an eye on it 
I think it's gonna be a pretty interesting primary battle, for sure... 
. Plus, with Trump throwing his hat into the ring 
, it's anyone's guess 
but can she really take down Hochul? The odds are against her 
️. Still, you never know what can happen in politics 
. Guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out 
!
Blakeman's confidence is inspiring, but let's be real, we've seen it before... and it didn't exactly go as planned 
Still, I think he's got a point about connecting with voters on Long Island – that's some serious street cred! 
And Elise Stefanik's squad is putting out some major heat 
The suspense is killing me 
. Newsflash, dude: being the county executive in Nassau doesn't automatically make you governor material. And what's with his "strong base" claim? Is he even polling well? I bet he's just winging it and hoping for the best 
. And don't even get me started on this primary battle - it's gonna be a real mess 
he's got some real street cred in nassau & suffolk and if he can tap into that kinda support statewide, he might just have a shot 
️. And then there's Elise Stefanik who's trying to deny Hochul another term, that's defo gonna be an interesting battle 
. What do u guys think?
like, that's so not how it works!!! And did u hear that Trump might get involved? 
that's gonna be a whole other can of worms 