On December 9, 2025, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman officially launched his campaign for New York governor, setting the stage for a high-stakes Republican primary against Rep. Elise Stefanik. Blakeman’s announcement, delivered via a campaign video and a live interview on Fox & Friends, marks the beginning of what promises to be one of the most closely watched political battles in the Empire State as the 2026 election cycle heats up.
Blakeman, a 70-year-old Long Island native, isn’t shy about touting his record. In his campaign kickoff, he highlighted what he sees as his signature achievements as Nassau County executive: “We made Nassau County the safest county in America. The poverty rate is the lowest in all of New York state. I haven’t raised taxes a penny in four years.” According to USA Today Network, Blakeman’s recent electoral victory was nothing short of commanding—he won a Democratic-leaning county by a 12% margin, despite Democrats outnumbering Republicans by 110,000 voters. The numbers speak volumes: he claimed almost a third of the African-American vote (a significant feat, given that most Republicans only get about 9%), 56% of the Hispanic-American vote, and won by 36,000 votes overall.
“While Democrats made gains nationwide on election night, the Republican Party shined bright on Long Island,” his campaign video declared. Blakeman’s team is making electability a central theme, pointing to Nassau County’s diversity and the broad coalition he says he built: independent women and men, crossover Democrats, and minority voters. “Affordability is not a slogan — it’s whether people can stay here,” Blakeman said in his campaign announcement, emphasizing his pledge to “Put New York First by protecting taxpayers and delivering real relief.”
But Blakeman’s entry into the race is far from a coronation. Instead, it sets up a bruising primary battle with Rep. Elise Stefanik, a six-term House member from Saratoga County and a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump. Stefanik, who announced her own gubernatorial bid shortly after the November 4, 2025, election, has already locked up endorsements from most GOP county chairmen and lawmakers across the state—a show of force meant to discourage challengers and avoid a costly, divisive primary.
The Republican primary is slated for June 23, 2026, with the general election following on November 3. But before then, Stefanik and Blakeman will vie for the party’s official endorsement at the state convention in February. According to The Journal News, Stefanik claims she has already secured enough support to win 75% of the weighted convention vote, which would guarantee her an automatic place on the June primary ballot. Should Blakeman fail to flip enough delegates, he’ll need to gather petition signatures to compete in the primary—a tall order in a state where party machinery often determines ballot access.
Party leaders are hardly united behind Blakeman’s campaign. State GOP Chairman Ed Cox warned, “A primary would be very destructive in that process in this very Democratic state.” Stefanik’s campaign spokesperson, Bernadette Breslin, didn’t pull any punches either, declaring, “Bruce Blakeman is an early Christmas present to Kathy Hochul as he works to blow Republicans’ best chance to win.” The implication is clear: the party establishment fears a contested primary could sap resources and attention from the real target—incumbent Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul.
Democrats, for their part, wasted no time in attacking Blakeman. Addison Dick, a spokesman for the state Democratic Party, said, “New Yorkers are watching Trump’s tariffs jack up costs, kill jobs, and hurt small businesses from Nassau County to the North Country, and they’ll never let MAGA Bruce Blakeman bring Trump’s cost-raising agenda to the Empire State.” Hochul’s campaign called Blakeman a “bootlicker,” with communications director Sarafina Chitika adding, “We’re not about to let him turn the governor’s mansion into Mar-A-Lago north.”
Blakeman, undeterred by the criticism from both sides, took a shot at the state GOP’s organizational strength. “He [Ed Cox] doesn’t speak for all Republicans in New York State. He’s the state chairman,” Blakeman said, emphasizing, “First of all, I have a much stronger organization than the state organization in Nassau County. We raised about $7 million last year for our candidates. I think New York State GOP raised about $300,000.”
Political observers are watching closely to see how this GOP primary unfolds. Law professor J.C. Polanco told Fox 5 that Stefanik is a “rockstar in the party,” describing Blakeman as “a very eloquent New York Republican kind of guy.” But he cautioned, “Can he survive a primary against a MAGA juggernaut? Only time will tell. He’s gonna walk on eggshells a lot because he’s gonna need a lot of those Republicans outside of New York City to support him. And if he attacks the congresswoman, well, I don’t know how that’s gonna bode for County Executive Blakeman in a November election.”
Both Stefanik and Blakeman are vying for the favor of Donald Trump, whose endorsement could tip the scales in a competitive primary. So far, Trump has avoided picking sides, telling reporters on December 8, “We’ll think about it, but he’s great and she’s great. They’re both great people. We have a lot of great people with the Republican party.” Some insiders speculate that Trump might ultimately intervene to prevent a damaging primary, possibly by urging one candidate to step aside for party unity.
Blakeman’s conservative stances—particularly on issues like public safety, taxes, and the use of opioid settlement money—have earned him a national profile and energized his base. His campaign is betting that his blend of fiscal conservatism and law-and-order messaging can resonate beyond Nassau County, especially as affordability and security remain top concerns for voters across New York. “That is why my administration will Put New York First by protecting taxpayers and delivering real relief,” Blakeman reiterated in his campaign materials.
Meanwhile, the Democratic side is not without drama. Governor Hochul faces a primary challenge of her own from Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who has launched a long-shot bid for the Democratic nomination. With both major parties gearing up for competitive primaries, the road to Albany looks anything but predictable.
It’s been more than two decades since a Republican last claimed the governor’s mansion in New York—George Pataki’s third-term win in 2002 remains the GOP’s most recent statewide triumph. As the primary contest between Blakeman and Stefanik takes shape, New Yorkers will be watching to see if either candidate can break the party’s long losing streak and mount a serious challenge to Democratic dominance in 2026.