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Bruce Blakeman, a prominent Republican from Long Island, is gearing up for his 2026 gubernatorial bid with a fresh slogan that channels a familiar political theme. Determined to “Make New Yorkers Happy Again,” Blakeman aims to resonate with voters across the state.
This catchy phrase emerged during his appearance on Miranda Devine’s popular podcast, “Pod Force One.” As the current Nassau County Executive and the GOP nominee, Blakeman is keen to bolster his presence and close the 13-point gap revealed by a Siena poll against the incumbent Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul.
In his conversation with Devine, Blakeman emphasized, “New Yorkers desire a leader who genuinely cares about them and prioritizes their needs. They’re yearning for happiness and change from the current administration under Kathy Hochul.”
Devine, appreciating the slogan’s appeal, remarked, “I love that as a slogan: ‘Make New Yorkers Happy Again.’” Blakeman agreed wholeheartedly, asserting that this sentiment captures the essence of his campaign’s mission.
Devine responded: “I love that as a slogan: ‘Make New Yorkers Happy Again,’” to which Blakeman replied “that’s really what it’s all about.”
The Albany hopeful, who has been backed by President Trump, plans to turnaround the state, if elected in November, by mirroring what he’s already done in Nassau County, he said — touting his conservative record of being “tough on crime,” governing four years without a tax hike, and killing a $150 million tax hike that his predecessor, Democrat Laura Curran, had planned before leaving office.
Blakeman said he intends to run on his record as he works to boost his name recognition outside Long Island, calling the path to closing the gap “a function of fundraising” and getting around an expansive state where, he noted, Nassau County alone is larger in population than eight US states.
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Although he’s currently trailing Hochul in the polls, Blakeman said he’s down less than Lee Zeldin was — 22 points — at the same point four years ago before losing to her in a nail biter.
His campaign released an internal poll last week claiming he was down by only 9 points, and his own tracking has him ahead in the suburbs and winning more support among voters in the city than the Siena poll indicated.
Blakeman also told Devine that he’s the “only one that can stop” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani -– citing the governor’s power to limit or even remove the Big Apple’s socialist head honcho.
“The only one that can stop Zohran Mamdani is the governor, and Kathy Hochul has demonstrated that she’s in bed with him. She’s not going to stop him,” he said.
But the Long Islander has considerable ground to make up both in the polls and in fundraising.
She currently has over $20 million in her campaign war chest, while Blakeman has raised just $3.2 million, according to the latest campaign filings.
Mamdani called out the county executive at an unrelated childcare press conference Monday.
“We’re talking about a man who espouses so much of what has diminished New Yorkers’ faith in politics across the city and across the state,” Hizzoner said.
“Someone who looks at what ICE is doing and thinks it’s exactly what the city needs to see.”
If he wins in November, Blakeman said New Yorkers can guarantee he will put the screws to Mamdani.
“There’s only one thing that I can assure you with a 100% guarantee. … I will stop him,” he said.
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But the Long Islander has considerable ground to make up both in the polls and in fundraising.
Hochul currently has over $20 million in her campaign war chest, while Blakeman has raised just $3.2 million, according to the latest campaign filings.
“We’re going to win,” an undeterred Blakeman told Devine, although the task just got harder after Democrats on the state Public Campaign Finance Board voted Tuesday 4-3 along party lines to deny Blakeman millions in matching funds over a paperwork technicality.
He attacked Hochul’s tenure in Albany as a “failure” marked by overtaxation, overregulation and “pro-criminal” policies that he said sent residents fleeing the Empire State in droves.
“By the way, I did go down to Palm Beach. I did go down to Florida. I talked to those New Yorkers who left,” Blakeman claimed.
“And they said when I’m governor they’re coming back.”
A spokesperson for City Hall did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.