Bruce Blakeman announces Senate run

Former Woodmere resident Bruce Blakeman says he wants to go to Washington.

The 54-year-old attorney announced his plans to run last Sunday before a crowd of several hundred at the American Legion Post 854 hall in Valley Stream. Blakeman, became the first Republican to throw his hat in the ring to challenge Kirsten Gillibrand for her seat in November.

If elected, Blakeman said he would fight for the middle class. “I share the anger, frustration and worry of the hard-working families of New York,” he said. “I know I can make your voices heard.”

Blakeman, who lives in New York City, attended Wheeler Avenue School growing up and is a graduate of Valley Stream Central High School. He was elected to the Nassau County Legislature in 1995 and served as the body's first presiding officer. He held that position for four years. Blakeman ran unsuccessfully for New York state comptroller in 1998.

For his campaign announcement, Blakeman was joined by dozens of elected officials from the village, town, county and state. United States Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) had considered challenging Gillibrand but recently announced he will not seek election to the Senate. Instead, he threw his support to Blakeman. As did former Sen. Alphonse D'Amato, who talked about his own successful campaign 30 years ago in which he started out as a underdog.

Blakeman criticized the federal government for its misuse of billions of dollars in federal stimulus money. “Nobody I've talked to has been stimulated,” he said. “I will fight to find out where that money went.”

He said that government should reward hard work, sacrifice and ingenuity but current practices punish successful businesses. Additionally, Blakeman explained, the federal government is running up massive and oppressive deficits that a simple tax on the wealthy can't pay for. “They want you to believe that only rich people will see their taxes increase,” Blakeman said. “My friends, that's their dirty little secret.”

Blakeman also addressed health care, saying that the government is attempting to dismantle a system that works for most Americans. He also spoke of his nephew, Tommy Jurgens, a Valley Stream native and Meadowmere Park volunteer firefighter who was killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Blakeman said it is wrong to have the trials of terror suspects in New York. Instead, he said, they should be tried in military tribunals at Guantanamo.

During his campaign, Blakeman said he promises to visit every corner of Long Island, New York City and Westchester. He will go from Buffalo to Binghamton, Rochester to Syracuse “and to each and every town, village and hamlet in between,” he said.