Gubernatorial Candidate Blakeman Mocks Hochul Over Massapequa 'Chiefs' Name Ban
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman voiced support for the Massapequa High School's 'Chiefs' team name and imagery, defying a state ban on Native American mascots.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman publicly challenged Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration on Monday, expressing solidarity with the Massapequa High School's "Chiefs" team name and imagery. Blakeman, currently the Nassau County executive, visited the school's merchandise stand during a football game at Hofstra University, holding up a Massapequa Chiefs sweatshirt.
"Hey Kathy Hochul, you see what this says? It says Chiefs," Blakeman stated, as reported by The Post. He added, "Once a Chief, always a Chief. You tried to take that away from Massapequa – no way."
High school seniors have also joined in a form of protest, creating "27the Chiefs!" T-shirts that troll the state's ban on Native American imagery. The Massapequa Union Free School District has been in a prolonged dispute with the Hochul administration since a 2023 Board of Regents mandate required New York public schools to discontinue Native American names and imagery or risk losing funding. The district estimates that rebranding its sports teams would incur costs of approximately $1 million. School officials argue that the term "chiefs" is widely used in contexts such as courts, firehouses, and police departments, and even within New York State government.
The legal challenges have galvanized the community, drawing attention from former President Donald Trump, who has consistently supported the Massapequa Chiefs. In 2025, Trump posed with a Chiefs sweatshirt and later deployed then-Federal Education Secretary Linda McMahon to Massapequa. During her visit, McMahon announced a federal civil rights investigation into New York's policy.
Students have also expressed their defiance through art, painting a large mural on a wall adjacent to the campus that reads "Once A Chief Always A Chief." Kerry Wachter, President of the Massapequa Board of Education, noted the community's strong attachment to their identity and history.
The game itself was a significant event, with the Massapequa Chiefs defeating Garden City 21-14, ending Garden City's 68-game winning streak. Wachter observed that many alumni at the game expressed gratitude for the community's resistance to the state mandate.
The Native American Guardians Association has also lent support, with their attorney calling the state's ban "the dumbest law of all time" and indicating readiness to pursue a lawsuit to the Supreme Court. "It's something that is known throughout our community," Wachter stated. "We're just not giving it up."
Blakeman faces an electoral challenge against Hochul in New York, a state with a significant Democratic voter majority. Hochul, seeking her second full term, initially assumed the governorship in 2021 following the resignation of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Election Day is scheduled for November 3.