Hochul, Blakeman clash in debate on Trump, immigration, Cornell investigation, and more
Sparks fly in NY gov debate: Hochul, Blakeman clash over Trump, Iran, Cornell and more
Things got a little testy as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and GOP challenger Bruce Blakeman traded shots at their one and only debate before Election Day. FOX 5 NY's Robert Moses has some of the key moments as the two tangled for one hour in Chelsea.
NEW YORK - New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman wasted no time going on the attack in their one and only debate before Election Day.
The televised debate Tuesday night marked a critical chance for Hochul and Blakeman to make their case to voters with less than three weeks to go in the campaign.
Hochul, Blakeman heated debate over Trump policies
Local perspective:
Some of Hochul and Blakeman's most heated exchanges came when the debate turned to President Trump, immigration and the Cornell gang rape investigation.
They also covered affordability and public safety, but it was hard to go more than a few seconds without the president's name coming up.
Key takeaways from the New York governor debate between Kathy Hochul and Bruce Blakeman
Incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman faced off in their first and only debate of the New York gubernatorial race. The candidates traded jabs over key issues including affordability, crime, immigration, and their ties to Donald Trump. Political analyst Ben Max joins to break down the biggest moments from the stage, evaluate both candidates' debate strategies, and discuss what the latest polling data means for independent voters ahead of Election Day.
Trump was mentioned at least 42 times during the one-hour debate.
"You are the president of the fan club for Donald Trump. It's absurd how adoring you are of him," Hochul said to Blakeman.
"You like to talk about Donald Trump all the time because you don't want to talk about your record. Because it's a record of misery and failure," Blakeman said.
Tariffs, gas prices, Iran
Hochul called out Blakeman after blaming high gas and grocery prices on the president's tariffs and the war in Iran. She also ribbed him for appearing with Trump at a rally in Syracuse.
"If [Trump] would only end these tariffs tomorrow, we could start seeing grocery prices start going, and the war with Iran, gas prices start going down. None of this has to be the way, and you support every single thing that Donald Trump does," the governor said. "You don't even have the spine to stand up to Donald Trump."
"When you talk about ‘Donald Trump, Donald Trump,’ that's all you can talk about," Blakeman said.
Blakeman distances himself from Trump
What they're saying:
Blakeman, at times, distanced himself from President Trump during the debate, highlighting where his positions are different.
"I have very significant policy differences with President Trump. He's pro-life. I'm pro-choice. I believe in a guest worker program for immigrants. He isn't there yet," he said.
"He agrees that Donald Trump is the greatest president of his lifetime. I didn't hear anything disputing," Hochul said.
Blakeman stopped short of calling Trump the greatest president of all time, but said there's still time.
"Well, you know what. Let me say this. In retrospect, I would say that Dwight D. Eisenhower was the greatest president, but Donald Trump has two more years. So let's see where it goes. Term's not over," he said.
"Well heaven help us," Hochul replied.
Clash over Cornell rape investigation
Dig deeper:
Hochul and Blakeman also clashed over the investigation into allegations of a gang rape at Cornell University in 2024.
"As a trustee and as governor, you didn't call for an independent investigation when you found out that the district attorney was dropping the case. Shame on you," Blakeman said.
"I did," Hochul said. "You know, that's pretty pathetic to blame me for what happened in a fraternity. My gosh."
"No, I'm blaming you for the investigation afterward," Blakeman said.
NY governor race polls
By the numbers:
Here's a look at some of the latest polls in the race for NY governor.
- A Marist poll released earlier this month has 53% of likely voters supporting Gov. Kathy Hochul
- Last month, a Siena poll showed that Blakeman took 41% of the vote, as opposed to Hochul with 50%
- A Quinnipiac poll released the same day as the Siena poll showed Hochul with a 19-point lead over Blakeman
The Source: This article was written with remarks made by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman during their only televised debate in the 2026 New York governor's race.