Republican New York gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman is courting disaffected Democrats as he seeks to unseat Governor Kathy Hochul, betting that frustration over affordability, crime and the party's leftward shift could help him win over traditionally Democratic voters. Speaking at the Crosstown Diner in the Bronx alongside former Democratic Assemblyman Stephen Kaufman, Blakeman made the pitch to residents who said they were ready to back the Republican candidate.
Kaufman, a former Bronx Democrat, delivered a harsh assessment of his former party. "They're not Democrats. They're socialists and communists," he told Fox News Digital. "They're just not Democrats, they're not moderates." He accused the Democratic Socialists of America of gaining growing influence over the party, warning that Democrats are "rapidly becoming a house of hatred" that no longer welcomes moderate voices.
Blakeman said his campaign events have produced a steady stream of similar conversations. "Every time I go out and meet the people, another Democrat comes up to me and says, 'Bruce, I'm a lifelong Democrat. I've never voted Republican in my life. We're voting for you,'" he said.
Several Bronx voters echoed those concerns, citing rising costs, public safety and the party's progressive direction as reasons they feel politically abandoned. One resident of the Throggs Neck neighborhood, identified as Lisa, said the party no longer represents its past. "It's not your Democratic Party anymore. It's not your grandfather's Democratic Party. It's become the Democratic Socialist, a.k.a. Communist Party," she said.
Another Bronx man criticized local housing debates, saying socialist activists had described homeowners with single-family or four-family homes as land-hoarders and a problem, and that Hochul had been supportive and quiet about it. "She didn't defend the homeowners," he said. A registered Democrat said the party's failure to address working families was shaping his vote. "I vote to what affects me, my community, the people I live with. I vote who's going to help the middle class."
Blakeman argued that the governor's record has opened a path for Republicans in a state long dominated by Democrats. "Kathy Hochul has raised taxes. She's raised utility rates 48 times. Programs like cashless bail make it easier for criminals to operate in our neighborhoods. So now I have the evidences. I have her report card and it's straight F's," he said.
Kaufman said Hochul has moved toward the left wing of her party. "The electricity rates have skyrocketed. She's had 42 increases over time. She wouldn't permit building of gas lines. She's closed utility plants. All she does is move harder and harder to the left," he said. "Every time she has a problem, she goes crying to the hard left. She's totally controlled by them," he added.
Blakeman pledged to take the opposite approach, promising to cut taxes and utility bills while making communities safer. He pointed to his record as Nassau County executive, saying he has "not raised taxes a penny in five years" and has instead cut taxes by $150 million. "I'll take my record, compare it to hers," he said.
The push comes as the socialist wing of the Democratic Party has gained ground in New York. Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani became mayor, and DSA-backed candidates went on to topple Democratic incumbents in congressional primaries. The movement has also scored victories elsewhere, with DSA-backed Melat Kiros defeating longtime Democratic Representative Diana DeGette in Colorado and Janeese Lewis George capturing the Democratic mayoral nomination in Washington, D.C. Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul's office for comment.