Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman has raised $11 million in his campaign for New York governor, his campaign announced Monday. The funds are intended to fuel a competitive challenge against the incumbent, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
"Hochul may have the office, but we have the unstoppable force of New Yorkers fed up with a state they can no longer afford," said Blakeman for New York finance chair Howard Fensterman. He added that the campaign "knew from day one that running an underdog campaign meant running against the full force of the governor’s mansion -- an office that went so far as to try to illegally block our campaign funding."
Blakeman's campaign stated it has secured nearly $11 million from over 10,000 supporters and anticipates unlocking an additional $1.5 million in funding. This comes after a dispute with the state's Public Campaign Finance Board, which Fensterman alleged attempted to deny Blakeman access to matching funds. A state appeals court ruled in May that the board had acted improperly, allowing Blakeman to access $4 million in public funds.
Campaign finance reports are due Wednesday, and the Hochul campaign has not yet released its fundraising totals. According to her previous filing in January, Friends for Kathy Hochul had approximately $20 million in its campaign account. The state Democratic Party reported $14 million on hand, while the state Republican Party had less than $1 million.
A Super PAC, "Make It Cheaper," has been established to support Blakeman's candidacy, with Super PACs permitted to accept unlimited donations.
Hochul is seeking her second full four-year term. She initially took office in 2021 following the resignation of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and was subsequently elected in 2022 by a margin of 6 points over Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin.