Knicks Owner James Dolan Hosts High-Dollar Fundraiser for NY Governor Candidate Bruce Blakeman
The event, held at Madison Square Garden, featured ticket prices ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.
New York Knicks owner James Dolan is hosting a high-profile fundraiser for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman on Thursday at Madison Square Garden. The event, co-hosted by Scott Alper, president and CEO of Witkoff Group, and Gregg Hymowitz, chairman of EnTrust Global, is scheduled to take place before the New York Knicks' preseason game against the Toronto Raptors.
Tickets for the fundraiser range from $10,000 for general admission to $25,000 for friend level and $50,000 for patriot status, according to an invitation obtained by The Post. Recent polling indicates that Blakeman is trailing incumbent Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul by approximately 9 to 11 points.
Dolan has been a significant financial backer of Republican candidates in the current election cycle. Last month, a Super PAC he is helping to fund contributed $250,000 to a billboard campaign targeting Hochul. The billboards criticized the governor, suggesting her policies were causing residents to leave New York, with the slogan "You are Now Leaving NY (Like Everyone Else). Vote Bruce Blakeman."
The Strong and Safe New York PAC, supported by Dolan, has also allocated funds to support Saritha Komatireddy, the Republican candidate for Attorney General, in her race against the Democratic incumbent Letitia James. The billboard campaign is part of a broader "seven-figure" advertising initiative planned for Long Island and the northern suburbs of Westchester and Rockland Counties.
This election cycle has also seen Dolan involved in public disputes, including a disagreement with Mayor Zohran Mamdani concerning watch parties held outside Madison Square Garden during the Knicks' playoff games. During a City Hall ceremony following the Knicks' championship parade, Mamdani made comments directed at the mayor, who had spoken about the team's history. Dolan responded by stating, "I don’t need your vote, I don’t need to quote to you, right, about what happened here because if you’re real Knicks fans, you know it already."