Blakeman sues over denial of public matching funds for gubernatorial campaign

Republican Bruce Blakeman sued a state elections panel Wednesday, claiming it improperly disqualified him from receiving public matching funds that could be crucial in his campaign to unseat Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, filed suit to reverse a decision by the state Public Campaign Finance Board, which, with a Democratic majority, voted on March 31 that he was ineligible for the program because of paperwork errors. That vote, if left to stand, would cost him $3.5 million or more in matching funds and be a huge blow to his campaign.

Without public matching funds, Blakeman could remain almost $20 million behind Hochul in the political money chase.

A key element in the panel's decision is a state law, signed in 2025, that ended separate primaries for governor and lieutenant governor, requiring them to run on a single ticket. Blakeman and his running mate, Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood, should have filed a "joint certification" application for funds, the PCFB ruled. The board received an application only from Blakeman, as first reported by Newsday.

Blakeman’s attorneys essentially said the four Democrats on the PCFB acted in "bad faith" to harm the Republican and benefit Hochul. Further, they said Blakeman’s paperwork errors were "irrelevant."

"The partisanship of the act of the four commissioners of the PCFB is exceeded only by the baselessness of the action itself," his attorneys wrote.

Blakeman’s attorneys contend he complied with the spirit of the law and the onus was on the board to notify him of such a minor filing error.

But they also acknowledge how important the matching funds are to the Republican’s chances.

"Choking off campaign funding at this critical juncture would be extremely damaging to and debilitating for a campaign, the harm would be irreparable," Blakeman’s lawsuit said.

Representatives for the board did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A spokesman for Hochul’s campaign said the board makes its own determination and the onus is on individual campaigns to meet the program’s requirements. The Hochul campaign and state Democratic Party have not filed any complaints or challenged Blakeman’s participation in the program.

The matching funds program was launched in 2023 and was first used in state legislative and other elections in 2024, with supporters saying it would help candidates who weren't personally wealthy or aligned with deep-pocketed donors to compete. This is the first year gubernatorial candidates may apply.

To qualify, a candidate for governor must raise a total of $500,000 from at least 5,000 state residents who give $1,050 or less. The first $250 of those contributions are matched 6-to-1 by taxpayers, for a maximum payout of $3.5 million for the general election. If he faced a GOP primary, Blakeman would have been eligible for another $3.5 million.

Earlier this year, Blakeman’s campaign submitted $1.4 million in expenses to the state Board of Elections it believes qualifies for matching funds under the program.

Republican and Democratic attorneys at the Public Campaign Finance Board knew by early February there was a potential issue with how the board processed candidates for governor and lieutenant governor. On Feb. 6, board attorneys agreed candidates could file paperwork together or file separately and board staff would combine them, according to records provided by the state Board of Elections. Back in December, Blakeman had filed an application for himself without naming a running mate, as he didn't have one at the time.

The board did not notify the campaign of any issues with his paperwork.

At the March 31 vote, Republican board members contended the onus was on the state agency to notify candidates of any problems. Democrats disagreed.

"There are certain threshold responsibilities on the part of a candidate," Barbara Lifton, the board chair and a former Democrat assemblywoman, said prior to casting the deciding vote.

The lawsuit claims the board does not have the authority to decertify Blakeman from the program under the law and demands the board create new registration forms allowing candidates on one ticket to file jointly.

 Blakeman wasn't the lone candidate disqualified for not filing jointly with a running mate. Among them was Larry Sharpe, who ran as a Libertarian for governor in 2018 and 2022. Earlier this year he said he'd compete against Blakeman in a Republican primary but now says he is seeking to gathering enough petitions to run on a Libertarian line.