The New York State Public Campaign Finance Board has ruled that Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s gubernatorial campaign is not eligible for publicly matched funds because the lieutenant governor candidate did not file the paperwork required by the set deadline.

The PCFB voted 4-3 on Tuesday and the new certification requirements that require both offices to file together went into law this year after being approved by the board this past December. The ruling also applies to several other tickets on the governor and lieutenant governor ballot.

The election law now requires both offices jointly submit their applications for eligibility to receive matching public funds. The board noted that in the case of Blakeman’s campaign, no lieutenant governor candidate certification was received by the Feb. 23 deadline.
Blakeman announced his running mate at a convention at the Garden City Hotel on Feb. 9, choosing Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood as his choice for lieutenant governor.

Blakeman’s campaign spokesperson Madison Spanodemos issued a statement on the ruling: “With the race tightening and her poll numbers sagging, it’s no surprise Kathy Hochul’s handpicked appointee would vote to take away funds from Bruce Blakeman’s campaign. While it reeks of corruption, no money in the world can hide Kathy Hochul’s record of driving up taxes, rent, utility bills, and insurance premiums.”

The Siena Research Institute released a poll on Tuesday showing that current Gov. Kathy Hochul is leading over Blakeman by a 13-point margin, which is 7 points less than the gap was in February.

The poll tabulated that 64% of registered voters say they have never heard of Blakeman or don’t know enough about him to have an opinion.

“While Hochul maintains very narrow leads upstate and in the downstate suburbs, her lead in New York City fell from 46 points, 63-17%, last month to 29 points, 54-25%, today,” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said. “Is that movement or merely noise? Let’s see what happens next month after the budget and as the campaign unfolds.”

News 12 has reached out to Hochul’s campaign for a statement and are waiting to hear back.