Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Republican and Conservative candidate for governor of New York, will appear at a campaign event at the Harbor Light Pub & Restaurant on Tuesday, July 28 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Blakeman was elected Nassau County Executive in 2021 and reelected in 2025. His tenure is noted for fiscally conservative policies that eliminated $150 million in planned tax increases while simultaneously improving Nassau County’s credit ratings. Blakeman hired more than 600 new police officers and claims Nassau is the safest county in America. He is running for governor on a platform of affordability.
The current governor, Kathy Hochul assumed office on August 24, 2021, after Andrew Cuomo resigned. Hochul retained the position when she was elected in 2022 in a race against then-Congressman Lee Zeldin. Neither Hochul nor Blakeman faced a primary, as challengers withdrew their candidacies. Blakeman’s running mate is Todd Hood, the sheriff of Madison County in upstate New York. The Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor is former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.
The event at Harbor Light is being organized by locals Mary Harkins and Jaclyn Avellino. While being billed as a fundraiser to raise at least $50,000, organizers stress that the main goal is to get Blakeman’s message out to voters in Rockaway.
The agenda has not been published but State Assembly candidate Tom Sullivan and Joe Cairo, the chairman of the Nassau County Republican Party, are expected to speak.
Blakeman previously visited Rockaway in March when he marched in our St. Patrick’s Day parade. The general election will be held on Tuesday, November 3.
