With Election Day less than a month away, two of the nation’s most polarizing political figures are playing increasingly prominent roles in New York’s race for governor.
President Donald Trump appeared alongside Republican nominee Bruce Blakeman in Syracuse on Friday, marking one of the most notable moments of the campaign so far and raising questions about whether an association with the unpopular president could ultimately help or hurt Blakeman in New York.
Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is preparing to campaign for Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has found ways to distance herself from the mayor and occasionally rebuke him while maintaining his support and partnering with him on several fronts.
For months, the race has been expected to hinge in part on the influence of Trump and Mamdani on their respective candidates. Both have generated significant enthusiasm among their supporters, along with intense opposition from their detractors.
But political strategists say one factor that may not have been anticipated by Republicans is a political honeymoon for Mamdani that has yet to evaporate, potentially giving Hochul an advantage as she seeks another term amid slumping approval ratings for the president especially in New York.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Blakeman would be wise to distance himself from Trump.
“The people of New York need to clean house in Albany Nov. 3, starting with Kathy Hochul,” Trump told supporters in Syracuse.
But the president appears keenly aware of a longstanding phenomenon: a difficulty getting is voters to come out in big numbers when his name doesn’t appear on the ballot. Facing lagging approval numbers and an inhibited remainder of his second term if Democrats make serious congressional gains, he has been using that awareness to rally supporters in recent days.
Stumping for the Nassau County executive, Trump sought to boost Blakeman and Republican congressional candidates in a region of the state where Republicans hope they can counter Hochul’s numbers in the city and defend congressional seats.
“When I’m on the ballot, we win everything. When I’m not on the ballot, 48% of you don’t vote. Please pretend I’m on the freaking ballot,” Trump said.
Mamdani, meanwhile, told NY1’s Errol Louis last week that he is preparing to campaign for Hochul in New York City.
“Right now, my focus is on the governor’s race,” Mamdani said.
“I’m excited, frankly, to be supporting the governor with less than a month to go,” he added.
Both endorsements carry potential political risks.
Trump faces anger over high prices associated with the war in Iran, tariffs and his administration’s immigration crackdown. Hochul, meanwhile, has been forced to contend with comments Mamdani made surrounding the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel to bipartisan criticism.
But Democratic strategist Jack O’Donnell says there is an important distinction in how the two candidates have positioned themselves relative to their high-profile supporters.
“He says he is going to govern as a MAGA governor, where you don’t hear Kathy Hochul saying, ‘I’m going to govern as a Democratic socialist,’” O’Donnell said.
Mamdani’s role in the governor’s race can be traced back to last summer and fall when the race was just beginning to take shape. Congresswoman Elise Stefanik centered her campaign largely around an insistence that Hochul would “bend the knee” to Mamdani and raise income taxes. Instead, Hochul only approved a tax on luxury second homes in New York City.
O’Donnell argued Hochul has carved out a wide political middle lane by resisting that pressure from the left to raise taxes while emphasizing affordability challenges that can be tied to the Trump administration.
“Kathy Hochul has gone to great lengths over the past couple of years to put a little distance between her and the far left. I think at the end of the day Hochul wins in this equation where Mamdani can fire up voters on the left,” O’Donnell said.
Republican strategist Chapin Fay agreed that both candidates face a complicated political calculation, but stressed that neither would be wise to turn away from their party’s most prominent figures.
“They just have to deal with these two men because there are benefits that come along with them and there is also negatives that come along with them,” Fay said.
Even as some New York Republicans keep their distance from Trump, Fay believes Blakeman was right to appear alongside the president and capitalize on the attention and fundraising opportunities his involvement could generate.
“Every campaign starts with your base, even in a complicated state like New York where you need non-Republicans to vote for you. I do think it will benefit the county executive in upstate,” Fay said.
Still, Fay sees a potential advantage for Hochul in the equation.
While Mamdani has his detractors, his continued popularity has complicated efforts to make him a political liability for Democrats.
“I’ve been recommending Republicans not tie their opponents to Mamdani, because he’s popular,” Fay said.
With the candidates preparing to face off in a debate Tuesday, Fay says Blakeman should focus on creating viral moments that could help him break through and reshape the race in its final weeks.
Source: spectrumlocalnews.com
