Bruce Blakeman slammed Gov. Kathy Hochul as lefty Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s “puppet” during a GOP campaign rally at an upstate shopping center Sunday, calling out the governor over the state’s soft-on-immigration sanctuary policy.
The Republican gubernatorial candidate accused Hochul of turning a blind eye to violence allegedly committed by criminal illegal immigrants, blaming her for the Empire State’s refusal to cooperate with ICE and siding with “un-American” pols like the Big Apple’s democratic socialist mayor.
“Kathy Hochul, she was out campaigning with Mamdani this week,” Blakeman told about 200 GOP supporters at the Triangle Shopping Center in Yorktown Heights. “And I say that’s great.
“Please take him everywhere you go, Kathy, because I want to remind people that this un-American, antisemite, anti-Christian mayor is running the Democratic Party and Kathy Hochul is nothing more than his puppet!”
Blakeman was joined by other Republican candidates, including Saritha Komatireddy, who is seeking to unseat state Attorney General Letitia James, and US Rep. Mike Lawler, who is facing a challenge from Democrat Cait Conley, among others.
“She spends more on criminal illegal migrants than she does on our veterans,” Lawler said of Hochul. “She’s an absolute disgrace to serve as our governor.
“We need to do everything we can to elect Bruce Blakeman our next governor,” he said.
Also standing with Blakeman were Jessica and Thomas Gorman, whose daughter, an 18-year-old Loyola University freshman from New York, was senselessly gunned down while walking along Lake Michigan in March — allegedly by illegal immigrant Jose Medina.
The 26-year-old Venezuelan migrant was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm. He entered the country illegally in 2023, federal officials said.
“When you call Mike [Lawler] a fighter, you weren’t kidding,” a distraught Jessica Gorman said. “And Bruce and Saritha, God, they’re the hope for our communities. I have to be honest with you, I sometimes have days where this feels very hopeless. So thank you for being here for Mike.”
She called Lawler, Blakeman, Komatireddy and the other GOP pols “our hope.”
“There is no consequence for committing crimes in New York State,” Blakeman said. “We got to get back to American values. The Ten Commandments say though shalt no steal — except in New York!”
The multi-candidate event featured refreshments and free campaign merchandise, including Lawler “American 250” tote bags, along with bracelets, pens and lawn signs for all the candidates.
Other Republicans in attendance included US Rep. Nichole Malliotakis, state Senate candidate Sergio Esposito, state Assemblyman Matt Slater, and comptroller candidate Joseph Hernandez.
