President Trump\u2019s trip to upstate New York next week is a bid to help his pal Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman \u2014 but also to help prevent Republican House seats from slipping away.<\/p>\n
Trump is set to campaign with Republican gubernatorial candidate Blakeman in Syracuse on Oct. 9, as the GOP looks to juice turnout in a state where several House races are suddenly competitive.<\/p>\n
Blakeman, who has been attacking Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul on tax cuts and energy costs, has been keeping his own race competitive<\/a>. <\/p>\n President Trump is set to campaign in Upstate New York next week with New York Republican gubernatorial candidate and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. His trip could also drive turnout in key state congressional races. Getty Images<\/p>\n But he also has an effect on candidates down the ticket, and Trump needs to try to make sure Republicans are enthusiastic enough to show up and vote.<\/p>\n \u201cIn \u201822, New York state determined the House majority. And in 2026, New York could determine it again,\u201d said one Republican operative.<\/p>\n Republicans point to former Rep. Lee Zeldin\u2019s (R-NY) 2022 campaign for governor, arguing that his bid helped drive Republican turnout across the state even though he ultimately lost to Hochul, 53%-47%.<\/p>\n The challenge for Trump is that his ability to fire up Republicans comes with a potential downside: He is deeply unpopular with many New York Democrats who are gunning to vote. <\/p>\n Anthony Constantino, put a \u201cVote for Trump\u201d sign on the roof of his printing company, Sticker Mule. He\u2019s been called a polarizing figure, and has loaned $16 million to his campaign in a district Trump carried by 21-points. AP Photo\/Michael Hill<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s going to cut both ways. On the one hand, Trump\u2019s negatives in New York are very deep.\u00a0 People are very emotional \u2014 the ones that don\u2019t like Trump really don\u2019t like him,\u201d said Grant Reeher, a political science professor at Syracuse University\u2019s Maxwell School of Citizenship.<\/p>\n But he can also help fill the Republican enthusiasm gap, said Reeher: \u201cCertainly one thing the guy is good at is getting people ramped up.\u00a0On balance it may be something that could help the Republican candidates.\u201d<\/p>\n Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) made her own political trip upstate<\/a> last week, with a plan to set up campaign infrastructure to turn out low propensity voters.<\/p>\n Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) came to Congress in 2022 when Republicans performed well at the top of the ticket. He could benefit from Trump\u2019s turnout push \u2013 although the president could also motivate Democrats to get to the polls. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n Republican Anthony Constantino, a candidate in New York\u2019s 21st Congressional District, is among those GOP candidates who have most enthusiastically hugged Trump. He even put a Trump sign on the roof of his sticker business.<\/p>\n Constantino announced Thursday that he was loaning another $4 million to his campaign as he tries to keep retiring Rep. Elise Stefanik\u2019s seat in GOP hands, bringing his total personal loans to $16 million.<\/p>\n His race is drawing unusual attention in the North Country, where the district has traditionally been safely Republican. His Democratic opponent, Blake Gendebien, said his campaign raised $2 million in the last fundraising quarter.<\/p>\n Constantino might need to spend the money he\u2019s loaned, thanks to signs of a \u201cblue wave\u201d that could take down Republican candidates due to high gas prices<\/a> and the unpopular trade war with Canada. <\/p>\n \u201cThat district should not be competitive,\u201d said Erin Covey of the Cook Political Report. <\/p>\n Trump won it by 21 percentage points in 2024, but Covey pointed to Constantino\u2019s polarizing image and the trade war\u2019s particular impact on the region as factors making the race more competitive.<\/p>\n And then there\u2019s Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), whose Hudson Valley seat is one of the country\u2019s most closely watched House battlegrounds.<\/p>\n