Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman on Saturday dismissed recent polls showing Gov. Kathy Hochul expanding her lead as Election Day approaches, calling the surveys “inaccurate” and insisting the contest remains a “virtual dead heat.”
“Don’t believe those phony polls,” the Nassau County executive told more than 100 supporters gathered for a campaign rally at Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village, Queens.
Blakeman was referring to surveys released Wednesday by Siena College and Marist, which showed Hochul ahead by 14 and 11 percentage points, respectively.
Blakeman also pointed to former Republican Gov. George Pataki’s 1994 upset victory, arguing that the polls were “wrong” in that race as well.
Queens GOP Chairman Tony Nunziato, Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens) and former Councilman Robert Holden (D-Queens) were among those attending the rally.
The Nassau County executive was expected to intensify his get-out-the-vote push later Saturday with appearances at Halloween parades in Maspeth and Glendale, followed by meetings with voters on the Upper East Side. Hochul was scheduled to campaign in Huntington and Brookhaven on Long Island, as well as in Brooklyn and Queens.
The two campaigns exchanged Halloween-themed attacks Saturday as they delivered their final messages to voters.
Blakeman’s social media accounts shared AI-generated images and video depicting Hochul dressed as a witch.
“Forget witches. The real Halloween nightmare is four more years of Kathy Hochul!” Blakeman wrote on X. “DITCH THE WITCH!”
Hochul’s campaign responded with a mass email attacking Blakeman’s armed, civilian-volunteer “emergency special deputy sheriffs” program, describing it as a “militia clusterf**k.”
