A Super PAC funded significantly by New York Knicks owner James Dolan has launched a billboard campaign across New York state, criticizing Governor Kathy Hochul and endorsing Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman. The advertisements, placed near state borders, aim to attribute the state's population decline to Hochul's policies.
Strong and Safe New York Inc. is behind the $250,000 campaign. The billboards feature a message stating, “You are Now Leaving NY (Like Everyone Else. Vote Bruce Blakeman),” alongside headshots of both Hochul and Blakeman. These ads are visible to motorists in locations including Staten Island near the Outerbridge Crossing, the Bronx near the George Washington Bridge, along Interstate 287 in Rockland County, I-84 bordering Pennsylvania, east of Albany heading towards Massachusetts, and near Route 97 approaching Vermont. Additional billboards are slated for deployment soon.
According to the PAC, over one million New Yorkers have left the state since 2020, attributing this trend to Hochul's "radical policies on everything from taxes to energy." Chapin Fay, a spokesperson for Strong and Safe New York, stated that New Yorkers witness their neighbors departing daily and will use the November election to replace Hochul with Blakeman.
The PAC's campaign highlights data indicating New York's population decline. One analysis suggests a net outflow exceeding one million residents since 2020. EJ McMahon, an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute, noted that New York has experienced the largest population decline of any state compared to its 2020 Census count. A Cornell University study further projected a potential loss of 2 million residents by 2050, reducing the state's population to below 18 million.
Blakeman, the current Nassau County executive, has acknowledged the campaign, sharing a video of traffic passing one of the billboards. He stated that hundreds of thousands have fled Hochul's "unaffordable New York," contrasting it with his record in Nassau County, where he claims to have cut taxes and enhanced public safety. Blakeman expressed his commitment, should he be elected governor, to making New York affordable enough for residents to remain.
In response, Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki countered that New York has added over 800,000 jobs since Hochul took office, surpassing even San Francisco in tech job growth. He also pointed to investments in public safety and cost reductions in areas like car insurance and childcare. Radulovacki criticized Blakeman's record, citing property tax hikes and an ICE partnership that he argued has harmed Long Island's economy.
The Strong and Safe New York PAC has confirmed spending $250,000 on the billboards, with ongoing costs anticipated through the November 4 election date.