New York State residents will vote Tuesday for a new (or the current) governor. Incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, is facing Republican Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County executive. Polling places will remain open until 9 p.m. local time on Nov. 3. According to media reports, nearly 2 million New Yorkers have already cast their ballots in early voting.
On the last day of the campaign, Hochul is visiting voters in Queens, promoting her efforts to lower the cost of living and improve safety in the Big Apple. The Democrat is also trying to draw voters’ attention to Blakeman’s close ties to President Donald Trump, who recently urged people to vote for the GOP candidate. The governor presents her candidacy as a continuation of her current economic and social policies and a defense of democratic principles.
Blakeman, who is voting with his family in Atlantic Beach, is focusing his campaign on promises to cut taxes and energy costs. Using the same tactic as Hochul, the Republican criticizes her ties to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “Kathy Hochul and Zohran Mamdani now have a pact, a secret pact. We know that. It’s about raising taxes,” Blakeman said. Beyond purely economic proposals, the GOP candidate promises to end the state’s so-called sanctuary policy for illegal immigrants and to cooperate with immigration authorities in deporting them.
The latest polls showed Hochul in the lead, but Blakeman argues that high turnout among Republican voters on Election Day could change the outcome of the race. Independent voters, whose support both candidates are seeking, were considered especially important in the campaign. The Republican is counting on the mobilization of his electorate to close the gap shown in public opinion surveys.
Editor: JŁ
Source: Nowy Dziennik
