Thursday, October 1, 2026
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced last month that he would run for governor this year. His bid attracted more media focus when his potential Republican primary contender, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, abruptly dropped out of the race a week before Christmas, and when President Trump endorsed Blakeman the following day.
“As I travel around the state, one of the things that stands out is the fact that people are basically unhappy,” Blakeman, 70, told the Herald when asked why he was running. “They’re miserable with [Gov.] Kathy Hochul’s leadership.” (Hochul will be challenged in a Democratic primary by Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado.)
“The economy is doing very badly in many portions of the state,” Blakeman added. “They need job creation, economic development. Communities are unsafe. They want more policing. They want more secure neighborhoods, and they don’t like a lot of the policies that Kathy Hochul has, especially taking away a lot of the control over the schools from parents and trying to centralize it in Albany.”
Blakeman cited a number of the county’s accomplishments under his leadership. The county tax property levy has not changed during his first term. Nassau’s bond rating has been upgraded, and it has been recognized for being a safe place to live with a low poverty rate compared with the rest of the state.
From Valley Stream to county power
Blakeman, a lifetime Long Islander, was born in Oceanside in 1955. He graduated from Valley Stream Central High School, where he played basketball, and went on to attend Arizona State University and California Western Law School. As an attorney, he focused on real estate, commercial litigation, personal injury, land use, transportation, finance and insurance.
In 1993, Blakeman ran for public office for the first time, and was elected to the Hempstead Town Board. Three years later, after the creation of the Nassau County Legislature, the then 41-year-old became the new body’s first presiding officer.
Blakeman lost the 1998 race for state comptroller to Democrat Carl McCall, and lost his seat in the Legislature the following year. In 2001 Blakeman was appointed by Gov. George Pataki — the last Republican to hold statewide office — to be a commissioner on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, a position he held until 2009.
After a failed run at the U.S. Senate and an appointment to the Hempstead Town Board in 2015 — a full-circle moment for Blakeman — he was selected by Nassau Republicans to challenge Democratic County Executive Laura Curran. He won an extraordinarily close race over the incumbent.
A familiar figure at home
Steve Bello, now an executive vice president at Northwell Health, came to know Blakeman through his work at what was then Franklin General Hospital, later renamed Long Island Jewish Valley Stream. Bello, who was the hospital’s president from 2016 to 2019, said his role required close engagement with community leaders and families who had long supported the institution. According to Bello, the Blakeman family was among the most influential supporters of the hospital, particularly at times when it faced financial and operational challenges.
Bello’s earliest interactions were with Blakeman’s father, Robert Blakeman, who served as a state assemblyman in the 1960s and a member of the board that approved the hospital’s transition to the Northwell system. As Robert’s health declined, Bello said, his son became more involved not only in his care, but also with the broader issues affecting the hospital and the surrounding community.
“Bruce had actually been working at that time as an attorney in the area, and had lots of influence with many folks,” Bello recalled. “When there were opportunities for the hospital to do better in one way or another, where he was getting feedback from the community, [or] if there was an opportunity for the hospital to partner with people, so we could potentially expand our services, Bruce was always helpful … when it just came down to supporting the hospital publicly as a place of really excellent care and great opportunity.”
While Blakeman no longer has a formal role with the hospital, Bello said he remains engaged in health care issues and continues to support the institution.
“What I know is what that family has done for that community, the hospital, in particular,” Bello said. “If he’s able to translate that really personal, philanthropic and caring kind of sentiment that was evident in his support for the hospital into a larger role for him, politically, he would be wonderful.”
Donald Steinert’s connection with Blakeman dates back more than 50 years, to Valley Stream Central High School. Steinert, a Vietnam veteran who returned to finish high school in 1972, at age 20, recalled sharing a business law class with Blakeman.
Steinert said that Blakeman treated him with respect at a time when he felt out of place, which Steinert credits with helping him complete his education. Steinert, who now lives in Suffolk County, supports Blakeman’s run for governor, believing his experience as county executive has prepared him for higher office.
“I wish the best for his governor’s run,” Steinert said. “The state is long overdue for a governor like Bruce, and I would love to see it.”
Not all Valley Stream residents see Blakeman’s candidacy through the same lens. Althea Campbell, who has lived in the village for 21 years, said she remembers Blakeman attending community events. She noted that his presence made him a familiar figure to residents, many of whom have followed his career. Campbell, a lifelong Democrat, said she supports Hochul and disagrees with aspects of Republican leadership.
“I have nothing personally against Bruce Blakeman, but [Hochul is] where my vote will go,” Campbell said. “But I think with the right support, anybody can excel, and I’m sure he can make a believer out of me. But the current state of affairs,” she added, referring to the Republican Party, “is a little painful.”
