GARDEN CITY – The New York State Republican Party kicked off its convention this week with a Monday evening rally to introduce the slate of officials vying for statewide office this year.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R-Atlantic Beach) is the party’s nominee for governor in the November election. In 2021, Blakeman upset then-Nassau County Executive Laura Curran (D-Baldwin) in a red wave that flipped control of many offices in both Suffolk and Nassau. Blakeman was re-elected by a hefty eleven-point margin in 2025, carrying Republicans across the finish line in county-wide offices and the Nassau County Legislature. While the 2025 elections saw Democrats win across the country, Nassau shone as a bright red beacon on Long Island.
Blakeman announced his candidacy late last year, and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville) dropped out of the race despite being the ostensible frontrunner.
Blakeman is staking his candidacy on delivering on affordability and public safety in Nassau, as well as being the primary stopgap between New York City’s drift to the socialist left and Long Island’s working-class rightward shift.
New York has not elected a Republican governor since George Pataki (R-Garrison) was elected to a third and final term in 2002.
The State GOP conducted its business at the Garden City Hotel in Garden City from Monday to Wednesday.
The Headliners
Dignitaries from across Long Island spoke in support of Blakeman on Monday evening. Hempstead Town Supervisor John Ferretti (R-Levittown) called Nassau “the safest county in America” under Blakeman’s leadership
Former Congressman Peter King (R-Seaford) made a rare public appearance to endorse Blakeman, saying, “when it comes to making tough decisions, Bruce will be there.”
“He will stand up to Kathy Hochul; he will stand up to [Zohran] Mamdani (D-Astoria),” said King. “If you’re re-electing Kathy Hochul, you’re electing Mamdani and all those progressive wackos on the left. We have to make sure that our state stays in the hands of a reasonable, common sense, hardworking guy, a man who supports the men and women in blue, who will never ever back down to the crowd, never ever back down to the mob.”
King (pictured left) added that although Blakeman might be “start[ing] off behind,” he reminded the audience that polls had Blakeman down by twenty points in his 2021 run for Nassau County Executive. He ended up winning by a razor-thin margin.
Chair of the New York GOP Ed Cox said the election would be a referendum on “one-party rule” in Albany that has produced “Raise the Age” and “cashless bail.”
Nassau County GOP Chair Joe Cairo and Suffolk GOP Chair Jesse Garcia (R-Ridge) gave fired-up speeches as Long Island once again leads the Republican ticket in a gubernatorial race.
“This begins today; it begins grassroots,” said Garcia. “The Republican Party is the one that stands for lower taxes, tough-on-crime, investing in our infrastructure, and our quality of life. And by showing that record in any and all regions of this great state, we are going to elevate Bruce Blakeman to the governor’s mansion.”
Garcia (pictured right) added that the “best way” to flip seats from blue to red is to show “what Republican governance means.”
“It means our Republicans put our resources into hiring more cops, detectives, and prosecutors to keep us safe and make sure we get around bad laws like cashless bail,” said Garcia. “For all those small businesses out there, Bruce Blakeman is the champion of Main Street.”
Presiding Officer of the Suffolk County Legislature Anthony Piccirillo (R-Holtsville) called the current era “not a time to sit out.”
“Kathy Hochul has gotten in bed with the socialists. They want to smother us with the ‘warmth of collectivism,’” said Piccirillo (pictured left), referencing verbatim positions from the Mamdani Administration. “Let’s say, ‘hell no!’”
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) said the message is clear: “S.O.S.: Save Our State.”
“Every year, people vote with their feet instead of at the ballot box,” said Romaine (pictured right). “This state has lost more population than the other forty-nine states. It’s time for a change; it’s time to make sure New York is great once again. We’re not going to let our state go down in flames. We’re going to fight for a state where businesses can survive. We are ranked forty-ninth in terms of business-friendliness and job creation.”
North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jen DeSena (R-Manhasset) called to “make New York sane again,” while Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino (R-Massapequa) said Republicans are “united for one cause: because we love this state, we love our children, and grandchildren.”
Zeldin Returns
A homecoming materialized on the podium as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) gave his support for Blakeman’s candidacy, just four years after staging a near-upset in 2022. Nonetheless, Zeldin’s strong showing is often credited to Republicans taking control of the U.S. House that cycle.
“New York should be a beacon of freedom, safety, and prosperity. It should be this shining example that the rest of the states should emulate for their own,” said Zeldin. “The Titanic analogy wouldn’t work for Hochul. She’s not just captain of the Titanic; she’s actually aiming for the iceberg.”
Zeldin (pictured left) spoke of his last year leading the EPA, which has brought him to all fifty states.
“What I see is that its citizens are just so happy with their quality of life. Many of them are former New Yorkers,” said Zeldin. “They wanted to stay here; this was their home and where their family was. But they realized that to stretch their money further, to feel safer, to live life freer, they had to flee New York – not to put this state in a timeout for a brief period but permanently flee and never look back.”
Zeldin said a key component of the problems in New York is Albany’s failure to promulgate energy satisfaction, instead not approving natural gas pipelines and disallowing gas hookups on new construction.
“They’re trying to hit these climate goals that they know they will not meet. They’re willing to cause extreme economic pain for their own citizens who can least afford it,” said Zeldin. “From one example to the next, you find so many different ways that the state has lacked balance and leadership.”
Zeldin said that in “looking to Nassau County” under Blakeman’s leadership, one will find “a county that ranks as one of the very best places in the entire country to live.”
“You have a county where law enforcement is supported, where our streets are safe, where the bond rating keeps getting better and better,” said Zeldin. “Even though [four years ago], we came up just short, in a state that’s only 22% Republican, in a state that has three-and-a-half million more Democrats than Republicans, you made people believe that this state can be saved – and yes, New York can be saved.”
Zeldin added that the “story of 2022” was that the GOP came up “just short,” but the “story of 2026” is that Blakeman will finish the job.
Blakeman Makes His Case
Blakeman opened by commending Zeldin’s trailblazing in 2022, saying, “we came up a little short, but this time we’re going to finish his [Zeldin’s] mission.”
The Atlantic Beach Republican began with an anecdote of a friend who is a “big-time Democrat from Upstate” who brought a sobering account from the State Democratic Convention.
“‘It was like a morgue,’” said Blakeman, quoting his friend. “‘No enthusiasm; people were down.’ He said there was no feeling that they [the Democrats] would win, even though Kathy Hochul is the incumbent,” said Blakeman. “That’s because they know that their policies are wrong for New York. They know they failed New York. They know that we are the highest-taxed state in the United States of America. They know that if it’s not affordable to live in New York, it’s because Kathy Hochul was the governor for four years. That all changes on January 1.”
Blakeman added that New Yorkers are “not happy with one-party rule,” that their children are “moving out” of the state, and that “they’re going to have to visit their grandchildren in a different state.”
“We can make this state, once again, a state where our kids and our grandkids and our great-grandkids to come are going to want to raise their families,” said Blakeman.
Blakeman introduced his running mates, calling them “probably the strong ticket” the GOP has “ever had” in the Empire State.
For State Comptroller, the GOP is going with Joe Hernandez (R-New York City), who ran for NYC Mayor in 2025. A Cuban-born refugee whose family fled Cuba for Florida when he was seven years old, he founded several successful companies in the biotech industries. According to his website, Hernandez played a “pivotal role in commercializing the world’s first FDA-approved molecular diagnostic test for human papillomavirus (HPV).” His work at the Digene Corporation would help “transform cervical cancer screening worldwide” and position Digene as a “global leader in molecular diagnostics.” He later founded Blue Water Vaccines, which works in collaboration with the University of Oxford to develop a “universal influenza vaccine.”
Hernandez will meet Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (D-Great Neck Plaza), who has served in the role since 2007, provided DiNapoli defeats his two primary opponents. New York has not elected a Republican to the Comptroller seat since 1990.
“He is a brilliant businessman and somebody who will be the fiscal watchdog of this state and work with me to make it more affordable to live in New York,” said Blakeman.
Blakeman introduced the party’s pick for Attorney General by calling Hochul the “most pro-criminal governor” in state history.
The GOP is going with Saritha Komatireddy (R-Brooklyn) to take on Attorney General Letitia James (D-Clinton Hill). Komatireddy is a former federal prosecutor who took on leaders in al Qaeda, ISIS, and the Mexican drug cartels. According to her website, she led “high-profile” cases in the Eastern District of New York, which involved “international terrorism, cybercrime, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, fraud, and foreign public corruption.” She also served as Chief of Staff to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), currently serves as a partner at Holtzman Vogel, and teaches at Columbia Law School.
“We need an Attorney General who will uphold the law, and that doesn’t commit fraud on mortgage applications,” said Blakeman, referring to allegations that James fraudulently claimed a Virginia home as a second property to secure better rates while it was used by family. “We need a real prosecutor.”
“Are we ready to make this a more affordable state by cutting energy costs in half? Are we ready to cut taxes? Are we going to respect law enforcement? Are we going to roll back cashless bail? Ladies and gentlemen, I’m Bruce Blakeman and I’m running for Governor of the State of New York!”
Blakeman’s Running Mate
Blakeman introduced his running mate for Lieutenant Governor, Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood (R) (pictured left). Taking the position in 2018, he “commands a work force of 160+ members, consisting of Corrections Officers, Road Patrol Deputies, Civil Division, Pistol Permit Division, Children’s Advocacy Center, and oversees a $16 million-plus budget,” according to nysheriffs.org. Hood has experience with the Syracuse Police Department in the Gang Task Force, SWAT Supervisor, and Firearms Instructor. He spent twenty-two years with Syracuse and later worked for the Onondaga County D.A.’s office as an Investigator for Criminal Investigations/Homicides.
“It’s a low bar, considering that Hochul’s first lieutenant governor [Brian Benjamin] was indicted and had to leave office in disgrace,” said Blakeman. “And then her second lieutenant governor, hand-picked [Antonio Delgado], is running against her for governor. Even Delgado knows she’s wrong for New York.”
New York, New York
The rally ended with a surprise serenade from actor, comedian, and conservative radio talk show host Joe Piscopo (pictured right).
“We’re going to bring New York, New York, back,” said Piscopo, before leading the invigorated crowd in a soulful rendition of New York, New York.
