Jewish Trump ally enters NY gubernatorial race, setting up primary against Stefanik |
JTA — Jewish Republican Bruce Blakeman, the chief executive of Long Island’s Nassau County, announced on Tuesday that he will run for governor of New York.
The announcement sets up a Republican primary between Blakeman, who is Jewish, and Representative Elise Stefanik, who has positioned herself as a bulwark against antisemitism since the outset of the Israel-Hamas War. The winner of the primary is expected to take on Governor Kathy Hochul in the general election.
“Our state is struggling with high taxes, rising utility bills, and rising crime,” Blakeman wrote on social media. “New Yorkers deserve a proven leader who will Put New York First.”
Blakeman posted an accompanying video, which showed a clip of Zohran Mamdani on election night and later depicted him side-by-side with Hochul, signaling an intention to use Hochul’s endorsement of New York City’s mayor-elect against her.
Blakeman has been a harsh critic of Mamdani, a democratic socialist and anti-Zionist, calling the incoming mayor a “communist and an antisemite” at an event shortly after the election. Blakeman also said he would launch a marketing campaign to attract businesses and residents from New York City to Nassau County.
Blakeman’s profile has risen in Republican circles since he became Nassau County’s first Jewish executive in 2022. An ally of Trump, Blakeman has implemented conservative policies in the county like banning transgender women from playing on female sports teams in county-run parks and facilities, and striking a deal with ICE........