Republican candidate for governor, Bruce Blakeman, has taken aim at his opponent, Governor Kathy Hochul, accusing her of colluding with the ride-sharing giant Uber in a political maneuver designed to secure her re-election. Blakeman alleges that the relationship between Hochul and Uber is a classic case of pay-to-play politics.
Uber has made a significant financial contribution, funneling $8 million into a Super PAC called Citizens for Affordable Rates. This organization is currently funding a media campaign that backs Hochul’s proposal to reduce New York’s notoriously high car insurance premiums.
Blakeman did not hold back in his criticism, stating, “Kathy Hochul is bought and paid for by Uber’s political dollars — and New Yorkers are the ones paying the price.” He further argued that Hochul’s policies, which include slashing insurance minimums, have weakened protections against potentially dangerous Uber drivers, thus jeopardizing public safety. “When I’m governor, Uber’s days of writing Albany’s rules are over. I’ll always put the safety of New Yorkers first — not corporate cash,” Blakeman, who is currently the Nassau County executive, vowed.
Adding to the controversy, state Board of Elections records indicate that Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has personally contributed $48,000 to Hochul’s campaign efforts since 2022, with $38,000 of that sum coming in the current election cycle.
The response from Hochul’s camp suggested surprise at Blakeman’s criticism of Uber’s support for her initiative, indicating a potential underestimation of the backlash from their political rivals.
The Hochul camp seemed surprised that Blakeman criticized Uber’s support of her initiative.
“While Governor Hochul fights to lower the cost of car insurance, puts money back in New Yorkers’ pockets and makes record investments to keep them safe, Bruce Blakeman let violent crime hit 10-year highs in his own county, created a secret MAGA militia that answers only to him, and is working hand-in-hand with Donald Trump to jack up costs,” said Hochul campaign spokesman Ryan Radulovacki.
An Uber rep also hit back at Blakeman.
“While New Yorkers are getting crushed by insurance costs, Blakeman is siding with billboard lawyer interests to keep the gravy train running,” said Uber spokesman Josh Gold.
“More fraud, higher premiums, bigger payouts – and the public gets stuck with the bill.”
But complicating Hochul’s stance is the fact that some Democrats and the powerful trial lawyers’ lobby are resisting her plan to overhaul car insurance, including by reining in fraud such as staged auto accidents and excessive litigation.
Blakeman’s broadside comes as he trails the Democratic governor by double digits in independent polls.
But a survey recently released by the Blakeman campaign claims he is trailing by only 9 points and is gaining momentum.
Hochul has a huge fundraising advantage, with $20.18 million in her campaign treasury compared with $1.6 million for Blakeman’s run, election records show.
Still, Hochul faces her own hurdles.
She is in the middle of tough negotiations with the state legislature to reach an agreement on a new budget. The new spending plan is due out Wednesday, but negotiations over it will likely drag on for weeks.
New York City lefty Mayor Zohran Mamdani and fellow Democrats are pressuring Hochul to raise taxes to help close the Big Apple’s multibillion-dollar budget gap — a move the election-conscious gov has pushed back on.
