With less than five months until general election day, New York gubernatorial candidates are starting to rev up their campaigns across the state.
Republican candidate Bruce Blakeman toured Erie County on Tuesday and unveiled his new local headquarters in Amherst. Blakeman, a native of Long Island, is currently the county executive of Nassau County.
Surrounded by local elected officials and candidates, Blakeman underscored the Republican party’s push to fill more seats across the board.
"In New York State, you can't look your kids or your grandkids in the face and promise them that they'll have a better life than you did, unless we have change," he said. "That change begins with our local elections, electing good Republican and conservative candidates."
Speaking to supporters and reporters, he shared several topics he feels passionate about, including economic development, high utility costs, affordability, homelessness, and immigration. He described Democratic candidate and incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul’s current policies as making New Yorkers, in his words, "miserable."
Blakeman and others who took the stage repeatedly remarked discontent with Hochul. The challenger said the campaign is a "battle" to save the state.
"I know, as governor, I can make all those miserable New Yorkers happy again by putting them first, by making sure that you get what you need, by cutting taxes, by cutting our utility rates," he said. "That's how you make it more affordable, and creating jobs for our kids and our grandkids, so they want to stay in New York."
