They’ve been attacking each other for much of the campaign.
But for the first time in the race for governor, Kathy Hochul and Bruce Blakeman will be squaring off face-to-face Tuesday, Oct. 13, in their only debate.
“Those who are supportive of an individual who Donald Trump himself has called 100% MAGA have seen the writing on the wall,” Hochul told reporters this week during a press conference held with the MTA.
“I’m not paying attention to any individual polls,” she added.
Separately, on the campaign trail in the Hudson Valley, Blakeman slammed his opponent’s federal immigration stance.
“I had to tell our police and sheriffs that they could no longer cooperate with ICE because of Kathy Hochul,” he said, of the state’s recently passed anti-ICE legislation.
New polls released show Hochul leads Blakeman.
Marist University results show she’s ahead by 11 points in a head-to-head match up.
Emerson College gives the incumbent a slightly larger edge, by 12 points.
“Kathy Hochul wants to talk about anything but her record,” Blakeman said during a campaign stop in Buffalo on Monday, Oct. 5.
“We returned $10 billion back in taxes back to New Yorkers just in the five years I’ve been governor. So I’ll put my record up to anybody’s, anytime,” Hochul responded that same day
The governor continues to tie Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, to his most prominent supporter, President Donald Trump.
His approval ratings continue to plummet in the heavily Blue New York.
For a Democrat, she’s navigated a decent relationship with the president.
But Thursday, she revealed she spoke to Trump about the ICE-involved shooting in Manhattan, demanding the administration pull back enforcement agents and release body camera footage of the incident.
“As outraged New Yorkers saw Donald Trump’s untrained ICE agents fire into a vehicle with a child inside, Bruce Blakeman isn’t only running the most pro-ICE ticket in America,” Hochul said campaign spokesman Matthew Jansen in a statement to NY1.
“On the debate stage Tuesday, voters will be seeing a clear contrast between ‘MAGA all the way’ Blakeman and Governor Hochul standing up for working families,” the statement continued.
Blakeman appears with Trump for the second time since August, in Syracuse Friday at a campaign rally.
He’s blamed Hochul for high prices.
“All she talks about is Trump, Trump, Trump. First of all, Trump didn’t make us the highest taxed state, Kathy Hochul did. Our utility bills are 70% higher than the national average, Kathy Hochul did that,” he said during a press conference in Buffalo.
He’s also trying to sell himself as a Republican appealing to Democrats.
Both are keen on how midterm elections will play into their contest.
Making stops in battleground districts with top national figures.
“There have been no atrocities committed by ICE in New York state. In my county, because we cooperated with ICE, we removed 2,000 illegal migrants with criminal records,” Blakeman said during a pres conference Oct. 6 with Rep. Mike Lawler
On fundraising, Blakeman is behind — although qualifying for taxpayer-funded campaign dollars.
He’s reporting less than $180,000 in coffers.
Hochul, meanwhile, has over $19 million in campaign cash, according to the latest filing.
“There’s not a lot of time other than to let people know that we’re out there campaigning hard. I will be campaigning with — any individual — the mayor has offered his help, Congresswoman [Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez has offered her help,” said Hochul at a separate event.