NEW YORK (VINnews) — Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, began a rapid statewide tour Sunday that will hit roughly eight cities in 48 hours as he makes a final bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul ahead of Tuesday’s election.
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Blakeman opened the effort on his Long Island home turf with a campaign event at a Northport golf course attended by supporters, donors and fellow Republicans, including Rep. Nick LaLota. He told the gathering he was “leaving no stone left unturned.”
Later Sunday, he planned brief stops in Oswego, Albany and Rensselaer County before returning to Long Island. On Monday, the itinerary includes Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Binghamton, with a final appearance in Manhattan the day before voters go to the polls. Blakeman intends to fly between the stops for short visits aimed at voters in cities that often favor Democrats.
The push comes as multiple polls show Blakeman trailing Hochul by double digits. Unofficial early-voting data indicate registered Democrats are outpacing Republicans statewide, including on Long Island, a traditional GOP stronghold. Studies have shown Republicans are more likely to vote on Election Day itself.
Blakeman has dismissed some surveys as “university-woke-polls” and said he has seen two recent statewide polls placing him within four points of Hochul — inside the margin of error. He has described the contest as a “dead heat” and a “turnout election,” predicting a Republican surge at the polls on Tuesday. He said the tour is meant to encourage New Yorkers unhappy with the status quo to cast ballots for him.
A Convos survey of Long Islanders found that 83 percent had already decided whom they would support and that nothing was likely to change their minds before Nov. 3, though the poll did not measure head-to-head support between the candidates.
Blakeman, who has the endorsement of President Trump, has focused his campaign on issues including crime, taxes and the cost of living while criticizing Hochul’s record. Hochul, seeking a second full term, has pointed to her experience and progressive priorities.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
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