By Phil Orenstein
The momentum is building, the race is tightening, and New York Republicans have an extraordinary opportunity before us. The New York Post recently declared that “Bruce Blakeman could unseat Hochul and turn New York red.” A Siena poll of likely voters conducted in early August shows Blakeman trailing Gov. Kathy Hochul by 10 points, 49% to 39%, a dramatic improvement as voters begin focusing on the November election. Even more encouraging, Blakeman is in a better position than Lee Zeldin was at a comparable point in the 2022 governor’s race.
With less than three months until Election Day, Blakeman is gaining momentum as more New Yorkers hear his message of common sense, public safety, freedom and economic renewal. Affordability remains the overriding concern of New Yorkers. Housing costs, utility bills, taxes and the overall cost of living are crushing working and middle-class families. These are precisely the issues Blakeman is putting front and center. Nowhere are they more relevant than Queens.
Our borough has some of the largest co-op and condominium communities in New York. Local Law 97’s increasingly stringent emissions mandates threaten many buildings with enormous compliance costs for major heating and energy conversions, from gas and oil to electric, potentially resulting in huge assessments, higher monthly maintenance costs, and soaring electric bills for middle-class homeowners. Blakeman has made opposition to these costly mandates a major part of his affordability message. He has also pledged to reverse New York’s ban on natural-gas fracking and unleash the state’s energy resources. Speaking with Miranda Devine on Pod Force One, Blakeman declared, “I can cut your electric bill in half, day one, when I become governor.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has officially endorsed Hochul for reelection, and she is sworn to support his socialist agenda. Their political alliance gives voters a clear choice over the future direction of New York. Blakeman is campaigning on lower taxes, lower energy costs, public safety, economic growth and a more business-friendly state. But here is where Queens becomes critical.
The Siena poll contains a remarkable regional breakdown. Blakeman leads Hochul in the downstate suburbs, 49% to 41%, and the two candidates are tied upstate at 45%. His greatest obstacle is New York City, where Siena shows Hochul with a commanding lead and Blakeman receiving only 19%.
That means we have work to do in Queens, my friends! And we know what our goal should be. 40% FOR BLAKEMAN IN QUEENS!
Blakeman does not have to win a majority in Queens. Our target is a clear, simple and achievable 40% of the Queens vote. Combined with a strong Republican performance upstate and in the suburbs, reaching that benchmark in Queens could make our borough an important part of the path to victory. And there is good reason to believe we can do it.
In 2022, Lee Zeldin received 36.6% in Queens. Donald Trump received roughly 37% here in 2024, compared with about 22% in 2016 and 27% in 2020. In less than a decade, Republican presidential support in Queens increased by 15%!
That didn’t happen by accident. It happened because dedicated grassroots Republicans have spent years reaching beyond traditional party lines and building relationships throughout the extraordinary ethnic and religious communities that make Queens the most diverse county in America. The late Senator Frank Padavan understood this perfectly. When speaking before groups of voters from different backgrounds, he would often tell them: “You’re all Republicans. You just don’t know it yet!”
His point was that so many Queens families, regardless of where they came from, share fundamental values: faith, family, freedom, safe streets, educational opportunity, hard work, entrepreneurship, and the chance to build a better life for their children.
That is the key to reaching 40% and beyond. We have seen the magic of diverse community voting blocs firsthand. Before the 2024 presidential election, we were knocking on doors in an Indian and Guyanese neighborhood in Queens Village. To our delight, voter after voter told us they were supporting Trump, regardless of party registration. Finally, one resident laughed and told us we could go home and rest because “we are all voting for Trump, every last one of us!”
We have witnessed the same power of community networks among Greek, Jewish, Korean, Chinese, Indian, Sikh, Pakistani, Guyanese and other Queens communities. A message passed from trusted community leaders to friends, relatives, neighbors and congregations can spread farther and faster than almost any political advertisement.
That is our Queens strategy for Bruce Blakeman. And it begins in earnest on Tuesday, September 8 at 7:30 PM, when we gather for a special Meet & Greet with Bruce Blakeman for Governor at Oasis Café in Bayside.
We have organized many memorable political events at Oasis, but this one comes at an extraordinary moment. The race is tightening. The momentum is growing. And Queens has an opportunity to play a decisive role in determining who becomes the next governor of New York.
So come meet Bruce Blakeman. Bring your friends, neighbors and community leaders. Introduce him to the people who can carry his message back into every corner of Queens. Donate generously, volunteer, spread the word and become part of the grassroots campaign that can make the difference.
We have already moved the Republican vote in Queens from roughly 22% to 37% in presidential elections. Now we need to take the next step: 40% for Blakeman. Imagine election night, November 3, when the returns come in and Queens has delivered the votes that helped change the direction of New York State.
The opportunity is here. The momentum is building. The path to victory runs through Queens. Let’s win Queens for Bruce Blakeman! See you at Oasis Café on September 8!
RSVP Now for Meet & Greet with Bruce Blakeman for Governor at Oasis Café
