Blakeman and Stefanik Trade Attacks After Hochul Wins New York by 1.15 Million Votes

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and outgoing Rep. Elise Stefanik traded public accusations on Thursday following a 20-point loss for New York Republicans in the general election. The two former rivals for the party's gubernatorial nomination blamed each other for the party's performance as Gov. Kathy Hochul secured a second term.

Unofficial results from the state Board of Elections show Hochul received 59.1% of the statewide vote to Blakeman's 39.69%. The margin amounted to more than 1.15 million votes. Hochul also held leads in both Nassau County, Blakeman's home district, and neighboring Suffolk County. These results reverse trends from the 2022 race, when Republican Lee Zeldin won Nassau by over 54,000 votes and Suffolk by nearly 95,000 despite losing statewide.

Blakeman criticized Stefanik on X, calling her a "selfish, do-nothing politician" who did not lift a finger to assist Republican candidates this year. He added that she had one moment of glory in an otherwise unremarkable career. The criticism followed a New York Post interview in which Stefanik described Blakeman's campaign as low energy and called for a complete overhaul of the state party.

Stefanik responded on X by highlighting her undefeated record in seven elections. She suggested Blakeman needed time to process the defeat, stating she would grant Upstate New York grace whether deserved or not. She also noted that she voted for Blakeman and a straight Republican ticket, claiming she helped raise more than $100 million for Republican candidates over the past decade.

The conflict traces back to the 2025 gubernatorial primary. Stefanik withdrew from the race on Dec. 19, 2025, weeks after Blakeman entered the contest. She cited a desire to spend more time with family and the inefficiency of a prolonged primary. President Donald Trump endorsed Blakeman the following day, solidifying his position as the party nominee.

Rep. Anthony Constantino, who declared victory in the race to succeed Stefanik in Congress, joined the fray. He replied to Blakeman on X with the phrase "Bumbling Blakeman Has Been Exposed!" Constantino accused Republican county chairs in the 21st District of working against his campaign. He also criticized Blakeman for spending too much time courting party officials instead of voters, describing the county executive as wandering from dinner to dinner while ignoring the people.

Constantino called for the removal of state GOP Chair Ed Cox, writing that he insisted on rebuilding the party and firing Cox. Cox defended Blakeman in a statement issued on election night, attributing the defeat to the national political environment. Cox said Blakeman ran a flawless, issues-based campaign that articulated the failures under Hochul and one-party Democrat rule.

Blakeman returned fire at Constantino, questioning the new congressman's abilities. He stated that Constantino was the worst candidate he ever encountered and that he would not have won without Blakeman's support in the district. Blakeman closed his message by telling Constantino to see him in two years.