Blakeman struggles to find the dollars to fight Hochul

Daily Point

Nassau County exec's fundraising trails that of Zeldin in '22

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is used to the fundraising power of incumbency, but this time he's the one going up against a well-financed incumbent.

The presumptive Republican candidate challenging Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul raised about $260,000 in new contributions and almost $1.4 million total, based on January filings with the New York State Board of Elections. Three transfers — two from his county executive committee and one from the Nassau GOP committee — account for $1.125 million, almost all of his fundraising activity at this early stage of the campaign.

Hochul dwarfed Blakeman's fundraising, hauling in $5.4 million. She spent twice as much as Blakeman raised — $2.9 million — and has more than $20 million in the bank compared with Blakeman's $1.14 million balance. Blakeman only spent about $240,000.

In an emailed statement to The Point, Blakeman's campaign spokesperson, Madison Spanodemos, said Hochul's government spending, not her fundraising prowess, was the real topic. "No amount of money can overshadow Kathy Hochul’s disastrous record of tax hikes, skyrocketing utility bills, higher commuter fares and tolls, and pro-criminal policies that put every New Yorker at risk of becoming the next crime victim."

That tack makes sense for Blakeman, and not just because he trails Hochul in fundraising and the polls. Blakeman trails former GOP gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin's fundraising at the same point. In January 2022, when Zeldin was making a run at Hochul that ultimately failed by 6 points, he had already raised more than $4 million and spent close to $2 million. Does a lack of dollars mean Blakeman isn't generating the same excitement in the GOP base as LI’s Zeldin did in '22?

In a recent Instagram plea, Blakeman asks for money to pay for a billboard targeting Hochul.

Most of Blakeman's donations not transferred from his county executive campaign were small-dollar-figure amounts from as far away as Arkansas, Nevada and Massachusetts, and from nearby GOP strongholds like Oyster Bay and Garden City. But those lunch money donations won't be able to keep pace with Hochul's hefty contributions from unions and big spenders. She did what incumbents in high profile seats do — raised mountains of cash from deep-pocketed donors.

It's no secret that Blakeman faces an uphill battle in the statewide Democratic stronghold. And his fundraising efforts certainly weren't boosted by the strength of the rest of the likely GOP ticket. Michael Henry, who had planned a second run for attorney general after putting up impressive numbers against incumbent Tish James four years ago, dropped out of the race last week with allies saying he didn't see any GOP path to victory this fall.

Factor in that there are about twice as many registered Democrats as Republicans in the state, and Blakeman has a real underdog fight.

— Mark Nolan mark.nolan@newsday.com

Pencil Point

A type of security

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Quick Points

Politicians, groundhogs ain't

• Long Island groundhogs Malverne Mel and Holtsville Hal both saw their shadows Monday morning and scampered away as winter-weary Long Islanders booed at the prospect of six more weeks of winter. Groundhogs, unlike politicians, aren't adept at lying to hide unpleasant truths from the public.
• You're not the only one who's cold. The Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead last week brought 20 penguins indoors to protect them from persistent subfreezing temperatures. Apparently, penguins, like spies, have to come in from the cold.
• Super Bowl tickets are averaging almost $8,000 each. For that kind of money, you might get the attention of a candidate running for office.
• Former Long Island congressman and current EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin's name has popped up as a potential replacement in the event Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem gets the boot for botching ICE operations in Minneapolis. Zeldin last week was asked by President Donald Trump to take over permits for rebuilding parts of Los Angeles devastated by wildfires last year. Trump said Zeldin was "the most reliable, solid guy." DHS is not a job for anyone with political ambitions. Building permits aren’t quite as controversial as immigration enforcement.
• The visiting area of the Suffolk County jail in Yaphank lost heat last week and the sheriff's office said on Facebook it was working to fix it. "Visitors are advised to dress accordingly while repairs are underway," the sheriff's office said. That's one way to let ice into the jails.
• An IndyCar race dubbed the "Freedom 250 Grand Prix" will be held in Washington this summer to commemorate the nation's founding after Trump signed an executive order greenlighting the event. Racecars going "190 miles an hour down Pennsylvania Avenue" will be "wild," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. No need for Suffolk County to announce the LIE 250 Grand Prix — that's every Saturday.

— Mark Nolan mark.nolan@newsday.com

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