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Republican Bruce Blakeman said Thursday he was thrilled that his rival Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul will be campaigning with lefty Mayor Zohran Mamdani, calling it a “big boost” for his gubernatorial campaign.
“I think that the more Kathy Hochul and Zohran Mamdani campaign together the more likely it is that I will have not only a victory but a very very astounding victory,” Blakeman said while accepting the endorsement of former Bronx Democratic Councilman/Assemblyman Steve Kaufman outside the Crosstown Diner.
Hochul, who is seeking re-election to a second, four-year term, is expected to stump with democratic socialist Mamdani on Friday, just before the start of the early voting period ahead of the November 3 election.
“Zohran Mamdani has attacked me. The more he attacks me, the more Democrats who come over to support me. The more independent voters who come over to support me,” Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, said.
“So I just hope Zohran Mamdani is real active for the next 11 days with Kathy Hochul campaigning together all around the state. I think it’s a big boost to my campaign,” he said.
“Thank you to both of them for appearing together. Keep doing it!” added Blakeman, pumping his fist for emphasis.
Political strategists say Mamdani could help turn out the vote for Hochul in deep blue New York City, where he is popular, according to recent surveys. She needs a solid Democratic turnout in the Big Apple to win re-election.
The Hochul campaign responded by pointing to a comment made by a Republican Party strategist.
“Mamdani is one of the most popular politicians on planet earth right now,” Chapin Fay, who works for the pro-Blakeman Strong and Safe New York Super PAC, told Politico after the mayor met with President Trump at Gracie Mansion last month.
Trump’s bromance with Mamdani has complicated GOP efforts to make the lefty mayor the bogeyman.
Mamdani’s camp, for its part, simply referred to a Quinnipiac University poll that showed Hochul leading Blakeman by 14 points, 55% to 41%.
Blakeman slammed the survey as “another phony poll” that undercounted his support. Republican internal polls claim Hochul only leads Blakeman by just 4 points.
Kaufman, who described himself as a moderate, said he’s supporting Blakeman because his Democratic Party has gone off the rails.
“If Bruce does not get elected the acceleration of decline and fall of New York City and New York state will become like a downward slide. The Democratic party, I’m sad to say, has been a house of horrors. A house of hatred,” Kaufman said.
“There’s no room for moderate people and moderation within its ranks,” he said. “This is something we all have to repudiate whether you’re Republican, conservative or Democrat. We have to yank our civilization back to the middle.
“The Democratic party has become the Socialist Communist Party of America and it breaks my heart to see that.”
Kaufman also blasted Hochul for opposing drilling for natural gas while utility bills skyrocket across the state.
“They had billions upon billions of dollars for illegal aliens but not for the average person living here,” he fumed.
Crosstown Diner owner Billy Tsibidis, 47, complained that his eatery’s electric bill is $15,000 a month.
“We have to sell well over 1,000 burgers just to pay our utility bill,” he said. “Kathy Hochul and the state, man they are killing us here in New York. It’s crazy!
“They’re anti-business! It’s almost like they’re trying to drive all the little businesses out of the state. I don’t get it,” Tsibidis said.
Kaufman also referenced Hochul’s gaffe from two years ago when she said black kids from the Bronx don’t know what computers are.
“This is your governor! She’s an idiot!” he said.