ALBANY – Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is facing an expensive , and for now significantly uphill, battle against Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York Democrats’ campaign apparatus funded by powerful unions, wealthy corporations and millionaire donors.
Blakeman pulled in just a little under $1.5 million before the end of 2025 after he formally entered the race with just three weeks left to December, according to new campaign finance reports filed Thursday.
Of that, $1.2 million was transferred out of his campaign for Nassau County executive and from the Nassau County GOP. The state Republican Committee has $465,000 on-hand, the records show.
But Hochul’s fundraising prowess remains one of her strongest assets.
She pulled in a whopping $4.5 million for her campaign, meaning she heads into 2026 with $20 million on hand total, including funds raised throughout the last four years.
Another $6.5 million was donated to the New York State Democratic Committee, which helps fund Dem campaigns up and down the ballot, for $12 million total in the party’s account.
Two of the state’s most powerful unions – the Hotel Trades Council and New York State United Teachers – both maxed out their contributions to the Democratic committee in 2025 at $139,000 each, records show.
Media mogul Fred Eychaner of Newsweb, real estate boss Scott Rechler of RXR Realty, shopping mall heiress Deborah Simon, Hess oil tycoon John Hess and Suffolk Construction CEO John Fish also contributed over $100,000 each to Hochul’s campaign and the state committee.
“This campaign is laying the groundwork necessary to re-elect the governor, elect Democratic leaders up and down the ballot and take back the House in November to keep our state safe from Trump’s relentless attacks,” Hochul’s campaign manager Preston Elliott wrote in a statement Friday.
Blakeman pulled in cash from some well-to-do donors, too, including the New York law firm Abrams Fensterman, real estate developer Broad Metro and controversial Buffalo developer Carl Paladino, a former gubernatorial candidate himself, who all donated between $5,000 and $10,000.
“No amount of money can overshadow Kathy Hochul’s disastrous record of tax hikes, skyrocketing utility bills, higher commuter fares and tolls, and pro-criminal policies that put every New Yorker at risk of becoming the next crime victim,” Blakeman campaign spokesperson Madison Spanodemos wrote in a statement.
Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who is challenging Hochul for the Democratic nomination, pulled in a cool $1.2 million for his long shot insurgent campaign against his estranged boss, enough to qualify him to unlock campaign matching funds.
