On a Sunday in Yorktown Heights, the Republican nominee for New York governor, Bruce Blakeman, turned a sitting governor's closeness to a rising political figure into the central charge of his campaign. Like many contests where a newer movement pulls on an established party, this one asks voters to decide whether a leader is steering or being steered. Blakeman casts Gov. Kathy Hochul as a follower of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and frames both as failing to keep New Yorkers safe and secure their borders. Hochul and Mamdani have answered by stressing affordability, and the public will judge which sto
Blakeman Calls Hochul Mamdani's 'Puppet' at New York Campaign Rally
"Please take him everywhere you go, Kathy."
Mark
Why does a single word like "puppet" matter in this race?
Mimi
Because it frames the whole contest. Blakeman is trying to make the governor's race a referendum on Mamdani, and Hochul has been appearing with the mayor, so he has real material to work with.
Mark
He actually told her to keep campaigning with him. Is that a dare?
Mimi
It reads that way. He said it's great and asked her to take Mamdani everywhere, because he wants voters reminded who he says is running the party.
Luke
Worth separating the pieces, though. The joint appearances are documented, including a Brooklyn rally. The claim that Mamdani runs the party or that Hochul is his puppet is Blakeman's characterization, not a finding.
Mark
And the descriptions he used for the mayor?
Luke
Those are his accusations. The reporting offers no evidence for them, and Mamdani has responded by accusing Blakeman of bigotry and racism. That's also an accusation.
Mimi
The backdrop is real, though. Mamdani won last year, and allied candidates beat two Democratic incumbents in congressional primaries this year.
Mark
What are Hochul and Mamdani saying they stand for together?
Mimi
Affordability and child care, with the argument that their policies lower costs for working families.
Luke
One more gap: Fox says it reached out to both offices for comment, and nothing from them on this rally is reported yet. We also don't have crowd size or any polling on whether the Mamdani link helps or hurts her.
Le Pouls
- A Sunday rally in Yorktown Heights became a stage for Bruce Blakeman to brand Gov. Kathy Hochul as Mamdani's "puppet."
- Blakeman pressed the attack on public safety, calling Hochul the "most pro-criminal governor" after a subway appearance earlier this month.
- Democratic socialists are surging after Mamdani's mayoral win and two incumbent defeats in congressional primaries, raising the stakes of every alliance.
- Mamdani fired back by accusing Blakeman of "bigotry and racism," while Hochul's team has yet to publicly answer the puppet charge.
- The race is tightening around a single question: whether Hochul's joint appearances with Mamdani help or hurt her in the final weeks.
On a Sunday in Yorktown Heights, the Republican nominee for New York governor, Bruce Blakeman, turned a sitting governor's closeness to a rising political figure into the central charge of his campaign. Like many contests where a newer movement pulls on an established party, this one asks voters to decide whether a leader is steering or being steered. Blakeman casts Gov. Kathy Hochul as a follower of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and frames both as failing to keep New Yorkers safe and secure their borders. Hochul and Mamdani have answered by stressing affordability, and the public will judge which story better matches the city they both govern.
On Sunday in Yorktown Heights, Republican gubernatorial nominee Bruce Blakeman, who also serves as Nassau County executive, addressed a campaign crowd and took aim at the growing partnership between Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He said he was glad Hochul had been campaigning with the mayor that week, then pressed the point further, telling her to take Mamdani everywhere she goes. He called the mayor un-American, antisemitic and anti-Christian, and described Hochul as nothing more than his puppet.
The joint appearances are real. Hochul, seeking a second full term, has campaigned beside Mamdani, including at a recent Brooklyn rally, and the two have pushed affordability and child care as ways to ease costs for working families. Their partnership unfolds as democratic socialists gain ground, with candidates aligned with Mamdani winning major congressional primaries this year, including the defeats of two Democratic incumbents.
Public safety remains Blakeman's sharpest weapon. Earlier this month, on a subway campaign stop, he labeled Hochul the "most pro-criminal governor" and argued that she and Mamdani were leaving commuters unsafe. Mamdani has answered by calling Blakeman's rhetoric "bigotry and racism," and when asked about Hochul's handling of Blakeman's attacks in a recent debate, he said she had done a good job.
Fox News Digital reached out to both offices for comment, but no response appeared in the reporting. What comes next is whether Hochul answers the puppet charge directly, and whether her appearances with Mamdani strengthen or weaken her case on safety and affordability as the campaign enters its final stretch.
On Sunday, in Yorktown Heights, New York, Bruce Blakeman stood before a campaign crowd and told Gov. Kathy Hochul, in effect, to keep doing what she was doing. The Republican nominee for governor, who is also the Nassau County executive, said he welcomed the fact that Hochul had been out campaigning with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani that week. "And I say that's great," he said, according to the New York Post.
Then he sharpened the point. "Please take him everywhere you go, Kathy," Blakeman said, describing the mayor as un-American, antisemitic and anti-Christian, and claiming Mamdani is running the Democratic Party. In his telling, Hochul is "nothing more than his puppet." Blakeman also accused his opponent of embracing Mamdani's agenda while failing to crack down on illegal immigration and crime.
The appearances he was referring to are real. Hochul, a Democrat seeking reelection to a second full term, has campaigned alongside the mayor, including at a recent rally in Brooklyn. The two have stressed affordability and child care, arguing that their policies are meant to lower costs for working families.
The pairing arrives as democratic socialists have gained ground in New York politics. Mamdani won the mayoral election last year. This year, candidates aligned with him and with the city's democratic socialist movement won major victories in congressional primaries, including the defeats of two Democratic incumbents.
Public safety has been Blakeman's steadiest line of attack. Earlier this month, during a campaign appearance on the city's subway system, he called Hochul the "most pro-criminal governor" and said she and Mamdani were failing to keep commuters safe. He has accused both Democrats of not addressing crime in New York City.
Mamdani, for his part, has hit back. After a debate between Blakeman and Hochul earlier this month, the mayor accused the Republican of engaging in "bigotry and racism." Asked by reporters about Hochul's handling of Blakeman's criticism in that debate, Mamdani said, "I think the governor did a good job." He added that he would never fault anyone for failing to catch all of it, "because that is a fool's errand when it comes to Bruce Blakeman."
Fox News Digital said it had reached out to the offices of Hochul and Mamdani for comment on the rally remarks. No response was included in the reporting. What to watch next is whether Hochul answers the "puppet" charge directly, and how the joint appearances with Mamdani play against Blakeman's crime-and-immigration message as both sides make their case on public safety and affordability.
Citations marquantes
Please take him everywhere you go, Kathy... Kathy Hochul is nothing more than his puppet.— Bruce Blakeman, at Yorktown Heights rally
I think the governor did a good job.— NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, to reporters
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