Financial Advisor, Writer, Zionist, American Patriot and Conservative
Meet NY Gubernatorial Republican Candidate Bruce Blakeman, a defender of Israel
The writer Joseph Scutts with Gubernatorial Republican Candidate for Governor Bruce Blakeman (photo courtesy of the writer)
As a Jewish Republican, Zionist, community leader and Israel advocate living in NYC, I recently had the honor of meeting fellow Republican Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for Governor of New York (and current Nassau County Executive) at a Jerusalem Conference in NYC. Bruce is a hawkish supporter of Israel with deep ties to Jewish and Israeli advocacy. As a Jewish politician, his staunch pro-Israel stance serves as a primary pillar of his 2026 gubernatorial campaign against incumbent Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul. Bruce Blakeman is an American attorney and politician currently serving as the 10th County Executive of Nassau County, New York, and is the Republican nominee for Governor of New York in the 2026 election.
First elected as County Executive in 2021, he became the first Jewish county executive in Nassau County history. Blakeman entered the gubernatorial race following the exit of Representative Elise Stefanik and quickly secured a high-profile endorsement from President Donald Trump. Blakeman holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Arizona State University, a Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law, and a certificate in homeland security management from Long Island University. Before serving as County Executive, his political career included roles as a Hempstead Town Councilman, a Nassau County legislator, and a commissioner for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey during 9/11. He lives in Nassau County with his family.
When it comes to his support for Israel, the contrast between Blakeman and Hochul is as clear as night and day. We have recently witnessed anti-Jewish hate crimes in New York City rise by 8.5% year-to-date through July 2026, with the NYPD recording 205 confirmed antisemitic incidents. Despite general declines across major violent crime categories, antisemitic offenses account for roughly 57% of all hate crimes citywide, disproportionately impacting Jewish New Yorkers. Jewish residents comprise about 10% of the city’s population, yet remain the primary target of more than half of all recorded bias-motivated crimes.
In addition to these disturbing statistics, incidents escalated sharply following the October 2023 Middle East conflict and have remained persistently elevated above historical averages over the last five years. As the tide of hate crimes against the Jewish people rises across New York, current New York Governor Kathy Hochul has faced criticism from both the left and right regarding her lack of response to antisemitism. Critics have included figures like Rep. Ritchie Torres, who slammed her for omitting the word “antisemitism” entirely from her State of the State address, and Republican lawmakers who criticized delays in security grant rollouts for Jewish institutions.
In direct contrast to Kathy Hochul’s weak stance on antisemitism, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has centered his platform on a strong defense of Israel and aggressive policing to combat antisemitism, pointing to his local executive record. As a Jewish elected official, his approach combines strict legal measures against disruptive protests with direct alignment with Israeli leadership.
His campaign for Governor centers heavily on a “New York First” platform with key focus areas. Blakeman has utilized the Nassau County police to establish strict boundaries for anti-Israel demonstrators, enforcing immediate arrests for blocking sidewalks or violating rules, signed a county public mask ban intended to counter masked agitators and individuals hiding their identity during antisemitic incidents and campus protests, and has championed the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism within Nassau County and advocates for its statewide implementation. Lastly, he has brokered a partnership/sister-city agreement between the Town of Hempstead and the Samaria (Shomron) Regional Council in Judea and Samaria during his prior local tenure, while pioneering local anti-BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) legislation.
As I met Bruce Blakeman at the Jerusalem Conference, I conveyed that he has my unequivocal support as he runs for Governor of the State of New York and that we need more candidates who take a stand as we fight the good fight in a war of good versus evil. We are living in unprecedented times where we have a Mayor of New York who openly spews hatred, antisemitism and sympathy for the Hamas terrorist enemies (who led the worst attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust), in which the Mayor’s antisemitic wife openly celebrated these atrocities online and denied the heinous acts that were committed against Jewish women. Bruce thanked me and conveyed that he will always be here for the Jewish people and all New Yorkers who love this great city and State. I wished Bruce much success in his Gubernatorial run and let him know that the Nation of Israel will always be behind him.
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