Overview
- Bruce Blakeman formally launched his 2026 bid Tuesday with a campaign video and a Fox & Friends announcement, following his Nassau County reelection.
- His entry creates a Republican primary against Rep. Elise Stefanik, who has backing from state party leaders including Chair Ed Cox.
- Trump praised both candidates as “great” and said he would think about an endorsement, keeping the race’s biggest prize unresolved.
- Stefanik’s campaign said Blakeman “has no shot” and is putting his “raging ego” first, while Gov. Kathy Hochul’s campaign mocked him as a “MAGA fanboy” with a poor statewide record.
- Blakeman highlights Nassau’s low crime and conservative policies on immigration and transgender sports as credentials, as recent Siena polling shows Hochul with a wide lead over potential GOP challengers.