Bronx faith leaders endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman on Thursday, giving the Nassau County executive a late boost in his bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Blakeman appeared with clergy members and longtime Bronx councilman and state Sen. Reuben Diaz Sr., whom he called “a great friend, a man of God, a man of family, a man of the people of this city.”
“I want to also thank all of you here today for your vote, your support and, more importantly, your blessings,” Blakeman said at Iglesia Cristiana de la Comunidad in the Longwood neighborhood.
“We have to return to the values of our parents and grandparents,” said Blakeman, who is Jewish. “The Democratic Party has become unrecognizable. This isn’t the party of Bill Clinton. This is a party of people who don’t believe in God or our values. They worship government.”
“The services provided by faith-based organizations are the high-quality services that support our communities,” he said.
“I believe in faith-based organizations because they do a better job helping our children, grandchildren, parents and grandparents than the government,” Blakeman continued. “I will shift funding away from government and toward faith-based organizations that work in, and are part of, the communities they serve.”
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After the event, Blakeman, 71, said his support for guest-worker permits for undocumented laborers could resonate with Hispanic voters across New York.
“I think the Hispanic and Latino communities like my position on immigration because it’s a common-sense approach,” Blakeman said.
“People want to stay in this country, and if they haven’t gotten into trouble and they’re working, I think they should be allowed to stay. But they also want criminals out of their communities. Their schools are being overburdened.”
Blakeman also campaigned in Harlem on Thursday with former New Jersey Nets star Jayson Williams.
The Nassau County executive is viewed as an underdog in his effort to defeat Hochul, 68, who is seeking her second full four-year term.
Election Day is Nov. 3, while early voting continues through Saturday.
