Republican Bruce Blakeman didn’t take kindly to a withering swipe from Rep. Elise Stefanik’s camp after he launched his bid for New York governor this week, and he fired back like a seasoned streetfighter who’s tired of Beltway sniping. Stefanik’s team had rushed out a statement calling Blakeman’s candidacy “doomed” and accusing him of putting his “raging ego first” instead of uniting the party, a crude bit of inside-the-bubble snark that landed poorly with voters who actually care about results.
Blakeman’s rollout video and interviews made clear he’s running on a simple, commonsense Republican program — affordability and public safety — and he wasn’t going to let smug Washington operatives dictate who’s qualified to fight the liberal machine in Albany. He highlighted real achievements in Nassau County and leaned on praise from conservative leaders who understand the value of executive experience over career politicians.
Stefanik’s team also trotted out polling numbers to justify their dismissal, pointing to surveys that place her far ahead in a primary and claim she’s the GOP’s strongest contender against Kathy Hochul. Those polls may play well in press releases, but New Yorkers aren’t persuaded by press releases — they look at who lowered taxes, who hired cops, and who kept neighborhoods safe.
On National Report and in media appearances, Blakeman didn’t whine — he rebutted with record, not rhetoric, reminding voters that New York needs hands-on problem-solvers, not more consultants and cable-TV soundbites. He challenged the idea that raw name-brand recognition trumps tangible results, and he made the conservative case that governing requires guts, not just hashtags.
Conservatives should be blunt: internal sniping and quick-hit dismissals from campaign shops weaken our hand against the Democrats who’ve wrecked this state. If the GOP’s goal is genuinely to unseat Hochul and restore opportunity to New Yorkers, it’s time to stop counting headlines and start weighing accomplishments — Blakeman’s record on public safety and fiscal restraint deserves a fair hearing from voters across the state.
Yes, the polls show Stefanik with a commanding lead in name recognition among primary voters, and that reality can’t be ignored by anyone serious about strategy. But polls are a snapshot of familiarity, not a guarantee of governing ability; New Yorkers who value security and prosperity will ultimately weigh experience and results when the votes are cast.
The real test will come when the primary voters decide whether they want a seasoned executive who actually delivered for his county or another Beltway figure promising slogans on cable TV. Republicans who love this country should demand a contest focused on beating Democrats and returning common-sense leadership to Albany — not petty power plays from the party’s inside-the-beltway class. Voters will decide, and conservatives should make sure they pick the fighter who can actually win.
