Overview
- Charter Communications and Spectrum News confirmed on Tuesday that Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican Bruce Blakeman will debate at 7 p.m. on Oct. 13 in NY1’s studios.
- The debate will air statewide on NY1, be available on Optimum, stream on the Spectrum app and Spectrum’s YouTube channel, and be co-moderated by Errol Louis and Susan Arbetter.
- Hochul has agreed to only this one televised forum, while Blakeman has publicly pushed for additional debates and criticized her for declining other networks.
- Campaigns say affordability and energy costs will dominate the program, with Blakeman blaming New York’s climate law and state policy and Hochul pointing to international events, tariffs, and Blakeman’s ties to President Donald Trump.
- Spectrum will also host statewide debates for comptroller on Oct. 1 and attorney general on Oct. 8, and this single face-off follows a recent pattern of incumbents limiting pre-election debates, making it a pivotal late-stage test of both campaigns’ messages.