# Blakeman says Hochul–Mamdani campaign appearance will help him, despite poll deficit

The Republican candidate made his case during a Bronx campaign stop as New York’s governor race enters its final days.

By The Signal Edition | Politics / Elections
Published: 2026-10-23T03:51:00Z
Updated: 2026-10-23T03:51:00Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/p6cx1q-bruce-blakeman-hochul-mamdani-campaign
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/0e28f3c707b53a3220bc4199730b07bb.webp (Bruce Blakeman speaks at a Bronx campaign stop on October 22, 2026, with campaign signs behind him.; credit: Matthew McDermott for NY Post)

## Summary
- Bruce Blakeman argued Thursday that a planned joint campaign appearance by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani would benefit his candidacy.
- Hochul and Mamdani are scheduled to campaign together in Brooklyn on Friday, ahead of early voting and the November 3 election.
- A Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday placed Hochul ahead of Blakeman, 55% to 41%, among likely voters.

## A Bronx stop and a campaign argument

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman welcomed the prospect of Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul campaigning alongside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Speaking Thursday outside the Crosstown Diner in the Bronx, where he accepted an endorsement from former Democratic lawmaker Steve Kaufman, Blakeman called their planned appearance a “big boost” for his own campaign. His argument is that voters wary of the mayor’s politics could move toward him; it is a campaign prediction, not an established effect on the race. [1](https://nypost.com/2026/10/22/us-news/republican-bruce-blakeman-says-rival-kathy-hochul-stumping-with-zohran-mamdani-will-be-boost-to-his-campaign/)

Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, also campaigned Thursday in Throggs Neck, a Bronx neighborhood where he is seeking votes in an otherwise heavily Democratic city. He told WABC that longtime Democrats have been approaching him to say they will vote Republican this year. Those anecdotes illustrate his pitch to crossover voters, but do not measure how many voters have changed their minds. [2](https://abc7ny.com/post/ny-governors-race-bruce-blakeman-trailing-kathy-hochul-double-digits/19970343/)

Hochul and Mamdani are scheduled to greet voters together in Brooklyn on Friday, according to reporting on the governor’s campaign plans. WABC reported that they are also expected to campaign together on Sunday. Their appearances come just before New York’s early-voting period begins and ahead of the November 3 general election. As of early Friday, the Brooklyn appearance remained a planned event, not one that had already taken place. [1](https://nypost.com/2026/10/22/us-news/republican-bruce-blakeman-says-rival-kathy-hochul-stumping-with-zohran-mamdani-will-be-boost-to-his-campaign/) [2](https://abc7ny.com/post/ny-governors-race-bruce-blakeman-trailing-kathy-hochul-double-digits/19970343/)

## Why both campaigns are focusing on the mayor

Mamdani has already appeared in a Hochul campaign advertisement attacking Blakeman and supporting the governor’s reelection. The ad emphasized their shared work on affordability and childcare. Blakeman responded to NY1 by disputing the criticism and saying he supports universal childcare for working parents, while objecting to paying for care for parents who are not working. Those are competing campaign positions, rather than an independent assessment of either childcare plan. [4](https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2026/10/15/mamdani-hochul-ad-governors-race-blakeman-)

The political calculation may cut in both directions. Hochul’s campaign has said it wants Mamdani to help energize young and less-likely voters in New York City. Political scientist Lindsey Cormack told News 12 that the mayor’s support could also motivate voters who oppose him. The scheduled events will test those theories on the campaign trail, but the eventual effect on turnout cannot be known in advance. [5](https://brooklyn.news12.com/2026/10/22/the-mamdani-effect-mayors-influence-faces-a-test-in-november-elections/2dhwFLTWgIvTmDGli7lPhD) [6](https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2026/09/29/mamdani-plans-to-campaign-with-hochul-ahead-of-election-day)

## What the polling shows

The latest Quinnipiac University survey provides a contrasting snapshot to Blakeman’s confident assessment. Released October 21, it found 55% support for Hochul and 41% for Blakeman among likely New York voters, with 4% not choosing a candidate. WABC also noted a Marist survey showing an 11-point Hochul lead. Polls are estimates of voter preference when they are conducted, not election results or a direct test of a single campaign appearance. [2](https://abc7ny.com/post/ny-governors-race-bruce-blakeman-trailing-kathy-hochul-double-digits/19970343/) [3](https://poll.qu.edu/Poll-Release?releaseid=3972)

Blakeman has dismissed the public numbers and argued that Hochul’s spending on attacks against him shows she considers the race competitive. Hochul, meanwhile, is using a high-profile city ally to seek additional votes in the final stretch. The immediate news is the sharper contrast in their strategies: Blakeman is trying to make the mayor a liability for the governor, while her campaign is betting he can bring more supporters to the polls. [1](https://nypost.com/2026/10/22/us-news/republican-bruce-blakeman-says-rival-kathy-hochul-stumping-with-zohran-mamdani-will-be-boost-to-his-campaign/) [2](https://abc7ny.com/post/ny-governors-race-bruce-blakeman-trailing-kathy-hochul-double-digits/19970343/) [6](https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2026/09/29/mamdani-plans-to-campaign-with-hochul-ahead-of-election-day)

## Reporting sources
1. [New York Post: Republican Bruce Blakeman says rival Kathy Hochul stumping with Zohran Mamdani will be 'boost' to his campaign](https://nypost.com/2026/10/22/us-news/republican-bruce-blakeman-says-rival-kathy-hochul-stumping-with-zohran-mamdani-will-be-boost-to-his-campaign/) (2026-10-22)
2. [ABC7 New York / WABC: Blakeman trailing by double-digits to Hochul in New York governor's race](https://abc7ny.com/post/ny-governors-race-bruce-blakeman-trailing-kathy-hochul-double-digits/19970343/) (2026-10-22)
3. [Quinnipiac University Poll: NY Governor's Race: Hochul 55%, Blakeman 41%, Quinnipiac University New York State Poll Finds](https://poll.qu.edu/Poll-Release?releaseid=3972) (2026-10-21)
4. [NY1: Mamdani puts out ad supporting Hochul's reelection bid](https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2026/10/15/mamdani-hochul-ad-governors-race-blakeman-) (2026-10-15)
5. [News 12 Brooklyn: The Mamdani effect: Mayor’s influence faces a test in November elections](https://brooklyn.news12.com/2026/10/22/the-mamdani-effect-mayors-influence-faces-a-test-in-november-elections/2dhwFLTWgIvTmDGli7lPhD) (2026-10-21)
6. [NY1: Mamdani plans to campaign with Hochul ahead of Election Day](https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2026/09/29/mamdani-plans-to-campaign-with-hochul-ahead-of-election-day) (2026-09-29)