Trump emerges as the main character in New York governor debate

Por Nick Reisman — POLITICO – TOP Stories

NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul and her Republican foe Bruce Blakeman were on the debate stage Tuesday night, but it was President Donald Trump who loomed large.

Hochul spent much of the hour-long forum knocking Blakeman for his deeply polarizing political ally while the GOP nominee largely fixated on attacking her record — a reflection of their divergent strategies: Will voters reject a staunch Trump friend or an incumbent who has presided for the last five years in Albany?

The two candidates sparred over affordability, crime, data centers and immigration enforcement. But on virtually every issue, Hochul found a way to tie her Republican challenger to Trump.

“You’re the president of the fan club of Donald Trump,” Hochul said to Blakeman. “It’s absurd how adoring you are of him, my gosh.”

Blakeman said Hochul was using the president to deflect from her misguided policies.

“When you talk about Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Donald Trump that’s all you can talk about because you have a record of misery,” Blakeman said.

By contrast, Hochul’s own controversial political ally, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, wasn’t referenced until roughly 45 minutes into the hour-long debate, hosted by Spectrum News and NY1.

The only debate between the two candidates highlighted the vulnerabilities of Hochul and Blakeman — and underscored how they’re trying to leverage anger at Trump and incumbents to their respective advantage.

The likely impact of the race for governor extends far beyond Albany. Both Blakeman and Hochul are trying to mount strong top-of-the-ticket campaigns to boost turnout for their parties and bolster down-ballot candidates in crucial House races. The outcome of those contests stands to determine which party will control the closely-divided chamber and the final two years of Trump’s presidency.

Voters remain restive with incumbents over the cost of living and appear poised to reject Republican candidates in tight races across the country two years after Trump’s stunning White House return, polls have indicated.

Both realities are colliding in the race for New York governor — a contest that will determine whether Trump still remains a unifying force for Democrats or if voters are ready to rebuff years of one-party rule. Voter surveys have shown the incumbent with a consistent lead over her GOP challenger.

Hochul lit into Blakeman for his ties to the GOP president, who is unpopular in his native state — insisting that a Republican as governor would have broad ramifications for a Democratic-dominated state.

“My opponent has said this: He says he’s going to bring Trump-style leadership to Albany,” Hochul said. “He says he’s going to cut Medicaid in half. And he says he’s going to let ICE run rampant in our streets.”

She later added Blakeman formed a “MAGA militia” to help patrol Long Island.

New York Democrats are banking that voters in this deep blue state will spurn Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, who has twice rallied with Trump this year. Republicans, in turn, believe voters are exhausted with Democrats controlling all levers of power in a high-tax state where the cost of energy and homeownership have spiked. The GOP wants Blakeman to harness the perception that Democrats have drifted too far to the left to buck a nationwide political climate and deliver what would amount to a stunning victory against Hochul.

Trump, though, has been a major conundrum for Blakeman, who is seeking to become the first Republican elected New York governor since 2006. The president lost New York in his three White House campaigns, but retains backing from the MAGA faithful — a base that Blakeman desperately needs in order to be viable statewide. Trump traveled to Syracuse last week to rally for Blakeman and urged GOP voters to turn out.

The gamble is a tough one. Hochul’s campaign has hammered Blakeman over Trump’s tariffs and the high gas prices following his war with Iran. The shooting of a man in Manhattan last week by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer only served to highlight Trump’s aggressive deportation strategy.

“Blakeman can overcome this by very much explaining to voters there are two separate things going on,” said Bill O’Reilly, a strategist for Republican state attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy. “The federal government and the state government are separate things and they both have problems. Bruce can show I’m running in a state race.”

And Blakeman did just that, spending much of the debate criticizing Hochul’s policies. He also showed some daylight with Trump, noting that while the president is opposed to abortion, Blakeman describes himself as “pro-choice.” He also expressed support for a guest-worker program for undocumented immigrants — another point of divergence with Trump.

Though the GOP candidate has not provided a set of detailed policy proposals — he’s vowed to cut utility bills and taxes — Blakeman blasted Hochul’s handling of public safety. He did not mention Mamdani’s name until the end of the event, when he knocked the governor’s political alliance with him.

“If you want to campaign with him, that’s fine, but I’ll tell you right now Zohran Mamdani is an antisemite, he’s anti-Christian and I believe he doesn’t have American values,” Blakeman said.

Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, sought to stoke the concerns of independent, suburban and Jewish voters who have been alarmed by the rise of Mamdani, a democratic socialist who has criticized Israel.

Hochul, a moderate, has forged an alliance with Mamdani this year. The far-left mayor endorsed her reelection bid in February, a move that helped stifle Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado’s primary challenge. The governor has been a dependable source of help for Gotham’s mayor, boosting state aid and backing a surcharge on pricey New York City second homes to ease the city’s financial woes.

Much like Trump, the mayor also holds sway over an intensely loyal base and Hochul will need New York City voters to turnout in high numbers to pad her victory.

Polls have shown Hochul consistently leading Blakeman, though she is underperforming compared to the other statewide Democrats running for reelection, like state Attorney General Letitia James and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. The Republican has also led consistently with independent voters.

And while Hochul’s own popularity is often so-so — a recent Marist University poll showed her favorable rating at 43% — voters view Trump even more negatively. He held a 38% favorable rating in the same poll.

“You have a candidate in Bruce Blakeman who gives this administration a monster bear hug every chance he gets,” said Morgan Hook, a former aide to Democratic ex-Gov. David Paterson. “Sure, would the Hochul team like to be up by 30? Of course. But let’s not pretend that a 10-point lead is not an insurmountable lead.”

The New York GOP is eager to flip an office Democrats have held for 20 years despite a string of scandals that have forced two chief executives to quit before their terms expired and a third to not seek reelection under a cloud of controversy.

Hochul is seeking reelection after ascending to the governor’s office in 2021 following Andrew Cuomo’s resignation. She won a full term in 2022 against Republican Lee Zeldin, who came within 6 points of unseating her.

Fonte: POLITICO – TOP Stories