December 10, 2025 • 7 mins
Bruce discusses his gubernatorial run against U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, contrasting his approach with Governor Kathy Hochul’s tenure and outlining the challenges ahead for New York.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
And now we have the man himself, NASA County executive
and now candidate for Governor of New York, Bruce Blakeman, Bruce,
thank you so much for talking. I've seen you everywhere
over the past couple of days. You've been busy. Congratulations.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Well, thank you so much. It's been a very exciting
twenty four hours.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Now you hit the ground running. I think you heard
what the governor said about you and aleist a phonic
running against each other. Do you want to respond?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Sure, Listen. I'd rather be a fan of Donald Trump
than a fan of Zorron Mandami, which seems to be
Kathy Hochel's new pal. She endorsed him, she's embraced him.
And you know what's really funny, Larry, what's really funny
is she has a primary by her trusted lieutenant who
(00:48):
turned on her because even her lieutenant governor thought that
she was doing a terrible job as governor of the
state of New York. So I find that very funny.
She wants to attack the Republicans for having a primary.
I think she needs to look in the mirror first.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Yeah, it's funny. I thought she made a huge mistake
politically by coming out so effusively and endorsing Zora and
Mom Donnie and appearing with him and speaking for him
on some regards. I thought that was a mistake. I
think most Democrats tried to keep some distance because he's
(01:27):
a great campaigner, no question, a great candidate. I'm not
sure he's going to be a great mayor because half
the things he says he's going to do he just
can't do. And now she's going to have to own that.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Well. I agree, Look, she's done a terrible job governing
the state. When I go to places like Texas and Florida,
South Carolina, North Carolina, the people there are happy. They're
happy with their government. As I traveled throughout New York
State for the last two weeks and met with people
in virtually every part of the state, people are miserable,
(02:01):
and they're miserable because of Kathy Hochel. They're miserable because
their communities aren't safe. They're miserable because taxes are way
too high. They're miserable because there's no opportunity for their
children and grandchildren in New York State. I want to
do for New York State what I did to Nassau County.
Nasau County is the safest county in America according to
(02:21):
US News and Whirl Report. We're the most desirable place
to live in New York State according to Niche Magazine.
I haven't raised taxes one penny in four years. We
have the lowest poverty rate of any county in New
York State. People are prosperous out here. I met with
union leaders last night and they were complaining about the
fact that there isn't the opportunity that they want for
(02:44):
their men and women who are working here, and a
lot of them aren't working because there's no job creation.
So I want to create economic prosperity, work to create
a better future for the young people here in the state,
and have people come back to New York State, bring
business is back to New York State, and to keep
the people here by making this a place where people
(03:06):
are happy and proud to call New York State their home.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Now, you responded to Kathy hokeel do you want to
respond to Elise Stefanik who said you couldn't control your
own raging ego and that's why you got in the race.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Well, listen, I'm not running against Elise I'm running against
Kathy Hokeel. I'm going to keep my eye on the ball.
I feel that my record speaks for itself. I run
a county that's larger than eight to ten states. I
have the tenth largest municipal police department in the United
States that I run. I have a four point three
billion dollar budget that I've managed in a way that
(03:41):
I've gotten seven bond upgrades from Wall Street, which is unprecedented.
I'm going to run on my record.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Are you surprised though, that she took that tenor? I was.
I thought that the two of you could write, run
a great campaign, show the problems with Kathy Hokeel, and
may the best person win. A surprise that she came
right out with a shot.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
At you, Well, again, I don't know what her thought
process was. It doesn't bother me in the least. I
got to tell you each and every day, I'm going
to get up and I'm going to bring my case
to the people on how I would be a better
governor than Kathy Hockel.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
You're going to have a debate, I'm sure, and you're
going to have going to be out in the campaign
trail and Kathy Hochel did have one point in her statement.
You are the two of you are a lot alike politically,
a lease in yourself, and you would expect that you're
both conservatives, you're both part of the Maga movement, you're
both Republicans and proud Republicans. How do you differentiate yourself
(04:45):
from each other? Or is it just who presents themselves
the best that people will vote for.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
But that's a great question. And here's what I would
say to you. In a county with one hundred and
ten thousand more Democrats, I want in the landslide by
over thirty six thousand votes. I won every key demographic,
independent women, I won Hispanic American and Latino voters, I
won Asian American voters. I won. And a typical Republican
(05:16):
candidate gets about nine percent of the African American vote.
I got a record high of thirty two percent of
the African American vote. Now you ask yourself, why are
they voting for me? He's a Trump guy, he's a
Maga guy. Why are they voting for Bruce? Because I'm
not a phony. I never backed away from Trump. But
(05:36):
what I did do is I reached out to those communities,
and I said, listen, we may not be able to
agree on something, but let's talk about what you need
for your communities. Let's talk about how we can make
a better life for your children and your grandchildren. That's
what I'm all about. And we did things in those
communities that had never been done before, especially by a Republican,
(05:57):
and I think people like that kind of leader. You
can't win a state election by getting only Republican votes.
You've got to get independent voters, and you've got to
get crossover common sense democrats. I've already done that, and
I've demonstrated that I can do that, and that's what
you need to win, and that's how I would differentiate
myself from any other candidate.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
It sounds like Donald Trump's going to stay out of
the race completely. He says, you're both great. I'm sure
you heard that. He wasn't going to say a bad
thing about either of you. He was glowing. Have you
talked to him about your decision? And since you made
the decision.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Yes, we've talked, and I talked to the President on
a fairly regular basis. He is somebody that I admire
very much. He's done more in the last eleven months
as president than any president in my lifetime. But I
don't talk about my conversations with the president. They're confidential,
(06:54):
and I keep that confidentiality because I respect his position,
and uh, basically, I'm not speaking for him, and I
don't think anybody should speak for him.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Well, I'm gonna keep trying. Thanks a lot for coming on, Bruce.
I really do appreciate your time. I hope to talk to.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
You again, my friend. It's always a pleasure, all right.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Bruce Blakeman county executive in Nassau County and now candidate
for governor.
And now we have the man himself, NASA County executive
and now candidate for Governor of New York, Bruce Blakeman, Bruce,
thank you so much for talking. I've seen you everywhere
over the past couple of days. You've been busy. Congratulations.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Well, thank you so much. It's been a very exciting
twenty four hours.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Now you hit the ground running. I think you heard
what the governor said about you and aleist a phonic
running against each other. Do you want to respond?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Sure, Listen. I'd rather be a fan of Donald Trump
than a fan of Zorron Mandami, which seems to be
Kathy Hochel's new pal. She endorsed him, she's embraced him.
And you know what's really funny, Larry, what's really funny
is she has a primary by her trusted lieutenant who
(00:48):
turned on her because even her lieutenant governor thought that
she was doing a terrible job as governor of the
state of New York. So I find that very funny.
She wants to attack the Republicans for having a primary.
I think she needs to look in the mirror first.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Yeah, it's funny. I thought she made a huge mistake
politically by coming out so effusively and endorsing Zora and
Mom Donnie and appearing with him and speaking for him
on some regards. I thought that was a mistake. I
think most Democrats tried to keep some distance because he's
(01:27):
a great campaigner, no question, a great candidate. I'm not
sure he's going to be a great mayor because half
the things he says he's going to do he just
can't do. And now she's going to have to own that.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Well. I agree, Look, she's done a terrible job governing
the state. When I go to places like Texas and Florida,
South Carolina, North Carolina, the people there are happy. They're
happy with their government. As I traveled throughout New York
State for the last two weeks and met with people
in virtually every part of the state, people are miserable,
(02:01):
and they're miserable because of Kathy Hochel. They're miserable because
their communities aren't safe. They're miserable because taxes are way
too high. They're miserable because there's no opportunity for their
children and grandchildren in New York State. I want to
do for New York State what I did to Nassau County.
Nasau County is the safest county in America according to
(02:21):
US News and Whirl Report. We're the most desirable place
to live in New York State according to Niche Magazine.
I haven't raised taxes one penny in four years. We
have the lowest poverty rate of any county in New
York State. People are prosperous out here. I met with
union leaders last night and they were complaining about the
fact that there isn't the opportunity that they want for
(02:44):
their men and women who are working here, and a
lot of them aren't working because there's no job creation.
So I want to create economic prosperity, work to create
a better future for the young people here in the state,
and have people come back to New York State, bring
business is back to New York State, and to keep
the people here by making this a place where people
(03:06):
are happy and proud to call New York State their home.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Now, you responded to Kathy hokeel do you want to
respond to Elise Stefanik who said you couldn't control your
own raging ego and that's why you got in the race.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Well, listen, I'm not running against Elise I'm running against
Kathy Hokeel. I'm going to keep my eye on the ball.
I feel that my record speaks for itself. I run
a county that's larger than eight to ten states. I
have the tenth largest municipal police department in the United
States that I run. I have a four point three
billion dollar budget that I've managed in a way that
(03:41):
I've gotten seven bond upgrades from Wall Street, which is unprecedented.
I'm going to run on my record.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Are you surprised though, that she took that tenor? I was.
I thought that the two of you could write, run
a great campaign, show the problems with Kathy Hokeel, and
may the best person win. A surprise that she came
right out with a shot.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
At you, Well, again, I don't know what her thought
process was. It doesn't bother me in the least. I
got to tell you each and every day, I'm going
to get up and I'm going to bring my case
to the people on how I would be a better
governor than Kathy Hockel.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
You're going to have a debate, I'm sure, and you're
going to have going to be out in the campaign
trail and Kathy Hochel did have one point in her statement.
You are the two of you are a lot alike politically,
a lease in yourself, and you would expect that you're
both conservatives, you're both part of the Maga movement, you're
both Republicans and proud Republicans. How do you differentiate yourself
(04:45):
from each other? Or is it just who presents themselves
the best that people will vote for.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
But that's a great question. And here's what I would
say to you. In a county with one hundred and
ten thousand more Democrats, I want in the landslide by
over thirty six thousand votes. I won every key demographic,
independent women, I won Hispanic American and Latino voters, I
won Asian American voters. I won. And a typical Republican
(05:16):
candidate gets about nine percent of the African American vote.
I got a record high of thirty two percent of
the African American vote. Now you ask yourself, why are
they voting for me? He's a Trump guy, he's a
Maga guy. Why are they voting for Bruce? Because I'm
not a phony. I never backed away from Trump. But
(05:36):
what I did do is I reached out to those communities,
and I said, listen, we may not be able to
agree on something, but let's talk about what you need
for your communities. Let's talk about how we can make
a better life for your children and your grandchildren. That's
what I'm all about. And we did things in those
communities that had never been done before, especially by a Republican,
(05:57):
and I think people like that kind of leader. You
can't win a state election by getting only Republican votes.
You've got to get independent voters, and you've got to
get crossover common sense democrats. I've already done that, and
I've demonstrated that I can do that, and that's what
you need to win, and that's how I would differentiate
myself from any other candidate.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
It sounds like Donald Trump's going to stay out of
the race completely. He says, you're both great. I'm sure
you heard that. He wasn't going to say a bad
thing about either of you. He was glowing. Have you
talked to him about your decision? And since you made
the decision.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Yes, we've talked, and I talked to the President on
a fairly regular basis. He is somebody that I admire
very much. He's done more in the last eleven months
as president than any president in my lifetime. But I
don't talk about my conversations with the president. They're confidential,
(06:54):
and I keep that confidentiality because I respect his position,
and uh, basically, I'm not speaking for him, and I
don't think anybody should speak for him.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Well, I'm gonna keep trying. Thanks a lot for coming on, Bruce.
I really do appreciate your time. I hope to talk to.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
You again, my friend. It's always a pleasure, all right.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Bruce Blakeman county executive in Nassau County and now candidate
for governor.
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