Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman is seeking to tie his Democratic opponent, Gov. Kathy Hochul, to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, in campaign mailers aimed at voters outside the city.
“Say No to Socialism. Say No to Hochul and Mamdani,” declares a mailer from the Blakeman campaign and state Republican Party that was sent to suburban households in Westchester County.
The mailer accuses Hochul of using state taxpayer money to advance what it calls “Mamdani’s socialist agenda.”
“You are not their priority. You struggle to afford groceries, gas, and rent, but Hochul spent nearly 5 billion dollars of your tax money on illegal migrants and Mamdani’s socialist wish list,” the mailer states.
It also points to rising property taxes, electricity costs, insurance premiums, and other expenses, claiming they have all increased “as Hochul implements Mamdani’s socialist agenda.”
“Under Hochul & Mamdani, Westchester is getting more expensive and less safe,” the mailer says. It features images of Hochul and Mamdani behind a worried-looking couple reviewing their bills.
“As New York’s governor, Bruce Blakeman will stop Kathy Hochul and Zohran Mamdani’s attacks on your wallet,” the mailer promises.
Hochul has highlighted new state support and measures included in this year’s budget to help Mamdani address New York City’s multibillion-dollar budget deficit, which totals $8 billion over two years.
The measures include allowing the city to impose a new pied-à-terre tax on luxury second homes, along with providing additional state funding.
Hochul also directed state aid toward helping Mamdani launch a universal child-care program for 2-year-olds.
The effort to portray Mamdani as a political bogeyman comes after Hochul’s campaign began airing millions of dollars in television ads linking Blakeman to President Trump, who remains deeply unpopular in his native New York.
Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki said Blakeman committed a gaffe by falsely blaming Hochul for rising gas prices, which he attributed to Trump’s preemptive war with Iran.
“New Yorkers want a governor who takes on Trump’s terrible economic policies and puts money back in pockets, and they’ve got one in Governor Hochul. Blakeman defended Trump’s record-high gas prices and opposes the governor’s tariff relief for farmers, the data center moratorium to stop companies from jacking up utility bills, and energy rebate checks for families statewide,” Radulovacki said.
Blakeman, who has been endorsed by Trump, defended the war in Iran while acknowledging that it could lead to higher gas prices.
“This is a war that had to be fought,” Blakeman said. “Yes, there will be short-term pain but there will be long-term gain. … They hate us, they hate America.”
