A Super PAC backed by the Democratic Governors Association has pumped $4.3 million into Kathy Hochul's re-election campaign, rolling out its first general-election television ads Saturday that brand her Republican rival Bruce Blakeman as “MAGA Bruce Blakeman.” The group, called Greater Empire State, reported collecting roughly $4.34 million in donations between late July and October 2 this year, according to state campaign filings.
The cash haul and new ad campaign were first reported by the New York Post, which detailed the PAC's donor list and messaging strategy. The ads accuse Donald Trump's agenda of raising costs and hurting New York, an argument Hochul herself leaned on during Tuesday's lone gubernatorial debate, when she invoked Trump's name roughly 20 times in an effort to tie his unpopularity in Democratic strongholds like New York City to Blakeman. Blakeman has said his friendship with Trump would not influence his decision-making if elected governor.
Greater Empire State's donor roll includes some notable names. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave $1 million, as did the Greater New York Hospital Association Management Corp. Leadership for New York, a separate Super PAC run by political strategist and former New York Apartment Association executive director Jay Martin, transferred another $1 million into the fund. The Sports Betting Alliance, which promotes online gambling interests, chipped in $600,000.
A Deliberate Shift From 2022's Last-Minute Scramble
The timing of this cash infusion marks a strategic departure from four years ago. Unlike in 2022, when the Democratic Governors Association entered the New York governor's race less than a week before Election Day, the national group launched Greater Empire State earlier this past summer to build a sustained financial buffer for Hochul, according to Newsday. That late 2022 intervention came after polls showed the race unexpectedly tightening near Election Day, and Hochul ultimately won her first full term by just 6.4 percentage points over Republican Lee Zeldin, the closest margin for a Democratic nominee in a New York governor's race since 1994, per Wikipedia's account of that contest.
Under New York election law, Super PACs like Greater Empire State can raise unlimited sums from corporations and wealthy individuals, but they are legally barred from coordinating ad strategy or spending directly with candidate campaigns, Newsday's report notes. The New York State Democratic Committee separately gave $10 million in September to bolster Hochul's campaign directly, a contribution distinct from the independent-expenditure spending flowing through Super PACs.
Campaigns Trade Barbs Over Momentum
The new ad blitz follows weeks of aggressive spending from the other side. A pro-Blakeman Super PAC had been spending $750,000 per week on television ads alleging a pay-to-play scheme tied to a $637 million COVID-19 testing contract awarded under Hochul's administration, as Hoodline's prior reporting detailed. Hochul's campaign declined to comment on the new Greater Empire State spending, the New York Post reported.
Blakeman spokesperson Madison Spanodemos characterized the late money infusion as a sign of Democratic desperation, arguing that New Yorkers are ready to dismiss Hochul over high taxes and soaring electric bills, and that no amount of outside spending can overshadow what she described as the nation's highest taxes and utility bills. Democratic strategist Kevin Donohue countered that Hochul is in a commanding position to win re-election, predicting her coattails would help down-ballot Democrats, and dismissing Blakeman's campaign as hampered by weak polling and fundraising along with what he called an extreme pro-Trump message out of touch with New Yorkers.
An unnamed Greater Empire State official said the PAC was not worried about the race. Polling has told a mixed story in recent weeks: a Pollfinity survey released Tuesday found Blakeman trailing Hochul by just 3 percentage points, while an October Marist Poll of 1,361 registered voters put Hochul's lead at 11 points statewide, 53% to 42%, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.
The Geographic and Demographic Divide
That Marist survey found Hochul's statewide advantage is driven almost entirely by New York City, where she leads 69% to 24%, while Blakeman holds a 51% to 43% edge upstate and the two are tied at 48% in the metro suburbs. The same poll also revealed a 29-point gender gap, with women leaning heavily toward Hochul and male voters favoring Blakeman. Hochul's path relies on commanding turnout in New York City and among female voters, while Blakeman is working to build margins upstate, on Long Island, and among independent voters frustrated by high taxes and utility costs.
Blakeman currently serves as Nassau County Executive, an office he won in November 2021 by defeating Democratic incumbent Laura Curran by just 2,150 votes out of more than 280,000 cast, establishing his track record as an underdog suburban candidate capable of upset victories on Long Island. Saturday's campaign event tied to this coverage took place in Hempstead, on Long Island, inside Blakeman's own Nassau County home territory.
Despite the spending war, Hochul retains a structural head start. Registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans statewide by more than two to one, with 6 million enrolled Democrats compared to 2.8 million Republicans and 3.4 million non-affiliated voters, per New York State Board of Elections figures cited by LifeZette. No Republican has won statewide office in New York since Governor George Pataki in 2002, a dry spell Blakeman's campaign is hoping to end even as outside money from both parties continues pouring into the race's final stretch.
