Bruce Blakeman for Governor

The landscape may be littered with editorials vainly supporting Republicans for New York’s governorship. It was in 2002 that the Empire State last elected, in George Pataki, a GOP chief executive. In 2022 Congressman Lee Zeldin ran a credible race to unseat Governor Kathy Hochul, but fell short on Election Day by just 6 points. This year, the GOP standard-bearer, Bruce Blakeman gets our strong endorsement as he nears the home stretch. Mr. Blakeman, currently the executive of Nassau County, is himself making the best case for his own candidacy with his proposal to in effect eliminate the state income tax for most New Yorkers. His plan calls for dropping state levies on the first $50,000 of annual income earned by New Yorkers, and, for married couples, the first $100,000 earned. The plan offers the prospect of relief for a state that ranks last in America, per the Tax Foundation, in tax competitiveness.New York suffers from what the Tax Foundation calls “high rates and a burdensome and highly nonneutral tax structure,” crimping growth and, in recent years, prompting successful high earners to decamp for lower-tax states like, say, Florida. “Taxes matter,” is how the Tax Foundation puts it, adding that “in an era of enhanced migration, they now matter more than ever.” Mr. Blakeman’s plan to cut income taxes could go a ways toward reversing that exodus. The nonpartisan fiscal watchdog, the Citizens Budget Commission, is spotlighting the need for reform at Albany, noting that “New York State and its localities are the nation’s highest-taxing and second highest-spending governments.” The commission says that New York “collected more taxes per person than any other state,” exceeding even California by 22 percent. The budget of Florida, which has more residents than New York, is less than half as large.While Mr. Blakeman eyes lower taxes, Mrs. Hochul, along with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is raising levies. The most dramatic instance is the tax on second homes at New York City, a catastrophe that is likely to hurt the economy and make housing less affordable. The tax, for which Mrs. Hochul bears the greatest responsibility, is facing scrutiny in the courts, with a state judge ordering the city to halt its implementation after a botched rollout.It’s encouraging to hear Mr. Blakeman stress the need for greater economic growth — along with cuts to wasteful spending — as elements of his tax cut plan. Mr. Blakeman’s campaign platform emphasizes that as county executive, he has held the line on any increases in Nassau’s property taxes, and kiboshed a planned $150 million boost mooted by his predecessor. That’s the kind of economic leadership needed at the governor’s mansion.Mr. Blakeman’s credentials on crime also mark a contrast with Mrs. Hochul, who is aligned with the far-left faction at Albany that has roiled the justice system by largely eliminating bail before trials. Mr. Blakeman touts the fact that in 2024 Nassau County was rated by U.S. News & World Report as the safest community in the country. Mr. Blakeman called the distinction “a tribute to our police officers, district attorney, and other law enforcement professionals.”We still remember watching President-to-be Trump’s appearance at Rome, New York, during the 2016 campaign. After arriving with Melania in his jetliner, he went before a crowded hanger and pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket. It was a list of all the economic reversals suffered in the area under the Democrats. Mr. Trump won the election, but had a hard time winning progress in New York, owing in large part to the governors being Democrats.Yet recent polls suggest that Mr. Blakeman’s campaign is making headway against what he calls, in Mrs. Hochul, the “worst governor in America.” A Siena College poll this month finds him within nine points of the incumbent — though a Quinnipiac survey, showing a 19-point gap, is less favorable. Mr. Blakeman’s tax plan could well help close the deficit. With the economic stakes as high as they are, New York can hardly afford four more years of Mrs. Hochul.

Bruce Blakeman for Governor

Bruce Blakeman for Governor

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