Republican Party

Long Island Republican Bruce Blakeman, the newly re‑elected Nassau County executive, launched a 2026 bid for New York governor on Fox & Friends and will challenge Rep. Elise Stefanik in the GOP primary. He’s running on a platform of prosperity and public safety and points to a county record that includes bans on transgender athletes at county facilities, creation of a volunteer law‑enforcement unit critics call a militia, directives for county detectives to assist federal immigration enforcement and a local public mask ban, while Stefanik and Gov. Kathy Hochul’s campaigns have already criticized his candidacy.