Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Blakeman Campaigns on Subway Safety and Energy Costs in New York City
Nassau County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman held campaign events in New York City targeting Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul on public safety and energy costs. Blakeman rode the New York City subway system Monday and held a press conference in Washington Heights, calling for more police officers, more conductors, and lower utility bills. Blakeman is running against incumbent Gov. Hochul in a state where Democrats hold a significant registration advantage.
Two sources · Thin corroboration
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman used two campaign events this week to attack Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on subway safety and energy costs. On Monday, Blakeman rode the New York City subway, calling Hochul "the most pro-criminal governor in the United States of America" and arguing that crime on the subway system "has gone up tremendously" under Hochul and Mamdani. He called for hiring more police officers, improving subway lighting, and increasing the number of conductors on trains.
On the conductor issue, Blakeman pointed to Hochul's December 2025 veto of state legislation that would have required at least two-person crews — an operator and conductor — on subway trains. Hochul, according to Fox News, said the bill would restrict MTA modernization efforts and cost up to $10 million annually. Blakeman also criticized Hochul for policies he described as reducing public safety, including cashless bail, the Raise the Age law, the HALT Act, the Clean Slate law, and a ban on local police partnerships with ICE.
On energy, Blakeman held a Washington Heights press conference Tuesday alongside former Gov. George Pataki, promising to cut utility bills by 50 percent if elected. He said he would legalize fracking, withdraw New York from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), and cited Pennsylvania as a model with lower electricity costs. Blakeman said natural gas extraction companies told him they could be "up and running in 60 days." After the event, his campaign did not respond to a request for clarification on his claim that Hochul raised utility rates 48 times, according to Politico, which noted that Public Service Commission rate increases during Hochul's tenure have been less than what utilities requested.