Bruce Blakeman
Running with Lt. Gov. candidate Todd Hood, the Madison County Sheriff. Advanced unopposed in the Republican and Conservative primaries after Elise Stefanik withdrew and Trump endorsed Blakeman.
Bruce Blakeman is the Nassau County Executive, elected in 2021, and the Republican and Conservative Party nominee for governor with running mate Todd Hood. His campaign centers on rolling back congestion pricing, cutting taxes, and public safety, building on a record as county executive that includes freezing county property taxes, hiring hundreds of additional police officers, and an executive order — later struck down and reenacted as a county law that is being challenged in court — banning transgender athletes from girls' and women's sports at county facilities. He describes himself as a pro-choice Republican.[3][25][24][22][27]
On the record — official actions
- action2024-02-22 · Issued an executive order, 'Fairness for Women and Girls in Sports,' barring the Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums from issuing permits to women's or girls' sports teams that include transgender players.[20][30]
- legal2024-05-14 · Nassau County Supreme Court struck down the executive order on May 14, 2024, ruling Blakeman lacked authority to act without the county legislature.[21]
- bill2024-07-15 · Signed Local Law 121-24 on July 15, 2024, re-enacting the transgender-athlete ban at county facilities as county law; the New York Attorney General and the NYCLU immediately filed lawsuits seeking to invalidate it.[21]
- action2024-09-22 · Froze Nassau County property taxes for a fourth consecutive year in his proposed FY2025 county budget while adding more than 50 new police officers.[27]
- actionHas hired more than 600 law-enforcement officers since taking office in 2022 and says he vetoed over $150 million in property-tax increases approved by his predecessor, Laura Curran.[27]
Positions on the issues
- OpposesKeep congestion pricing in Manhattan
Made rolling back congestion pricing a central campaign theme, warning tolling could expand beyond Manhattan.[24]
“In Hochul's New York, you now pay a tax just to drive on a public road you already paid for.”
- OpposesRaise taxes on high earners or corporations
Says he wants to cut taxes rather than raise them, pointing to freezing Nassau County property taxes and vetoing over $150 million in tax increases approved by his predecessor.[22][27]
“I'm looking to cut taxes — not raise them.”
- MixedExpand immigration enforcement and deportations
Supports working with ICE to remove people with criminal convictions and opposed New York's sanctuary policies, but says he opposes immigration raids at schools, houses of worship and day-care centers.[23]
“I have told ICE, we will work together with you, but we will not be in favor of raids on schools, on houses of worships, on day care centers.”
- OpposesFaster transition away from fossil fuels
Calls New York's climate law a 'green energy scam,' opposes the state's offshore wind projects, and supports natural gas drilling and fracking to lower energy costs.[22][23]
“Drill, baby drill.”
- SupportsProtect legal access to abortion
Describes himself as a pro-choice Republican and says abortion decisions should be left to a woman and her doctor.[22]
“I'm a pro-choice Republican.”
- SupportsIncrease police funding and staffing
Says he has hired more than 600 additional law-enforcement officers as Nassau County Executive and pledges to back police as governor.[24][25]
“As governor, I will stand with our police, not against them.”
In their words — priorities
- Cutting taxes and delivering property-tax relief, citing his record freezing Nassau County property taxes for four straight years without raising them.[22][25]
- Strengthening public safety, including hiring more police and opposing cashless bail and 'Raise the Age' laws.[25]
- Ending state sanctuary policies and cooperating with federal immigration authorities to remove people with criminal convictions, while opposing ICE raids at schools, houses of worship and day-care centers.[23][25]
- Rolling back congestion pricing, which he says taxes drivers for using roads they already paid for.[24]
- Opposing New York's 2019 climate law, which he calls a 'green energy scam,' and supporting natural gas drilling to lower energy costs.[22]
Background
- Born in Oceanside and raised in Valley Stream, Nassau County; earned a B.A. from Arizona State University and a J.D. from California Western School of Law.[26][3]
- Served on the Nassau County Legislature representing the 7th district, January 1995–December 1999, and later served as the body's presiding officer; also served as a Hempstead Town Councilman, 2015–2021.[26][30]
- Served as a Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, appointed by the Governor of New York, in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.[26]
- Won the Republican nomination for New York's 4th Congressional District in 2014 but lost the general election to Kathleen Rice, 52.8% to 47.1%.[3]
- Elected Nassau County Executive on November 2, 2021, defeating incumbent Democrat Laura Curran; took office January 1, 2022, becoming the county's first Jewish county executive.[26][27][30]