NY GOVERNOR RACE
With just over two months until Election Day, Republican gubernatorial nominee Bruce Blakeman’s campaign is looking to make inroads with Jewish voters in Queens.
On August 24, 2026, community activist and advisor Alan Sherman invited a select group of community leaders and individuals active in local Republican politics to meet with Rob Becerra, animal welfare policy advisor for the Bruce Blakeman campaign and liaison to the Queens community. Blakeman asked Becerra to speak to the Central Queens Jewish community to hear their concerns and learn how their campaign could better address their needs.
Among those in attendance were both Yaakov Serle, publisher and founder of the Queens Jewish Link and Rafael Nektalov, founder and editor-in-chief of the Bukharian Times, as well as Rabbi Hayim Schwartz, Executive Vice President at the Rabbinical Seminary of America. The crowd expressed their frustration at Blakeman’s absence in their community. Gubernatorial Lee Zeldin had visited both Forest Hills and Kew Gardens Hills during his campaign. The consensus of the crowd was that Blakeman has to do more in New York City to connect with Jewish voters. It was suggested that he visits local synagogues, organizes a town hall, and walks down Main Street on a Thursday evening.
Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, is challenging Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in the November 3 election. His campaign is hoping to build on the gains Republicans made in New York in 2022, when Lee Zeldin came within roughly six percentage points of defeating Hochul — the strongest Republican performance in a New York gubernatorial race in two decades.
Hot-button issues were discussed, such as the closing of Rikers Island, the rise in antisemitism and the indoctrination of our youth. One member of the group noted that while driving to the meeting, he saw hammer and sickle stickers plastered on poles around Queens College. Blakeman needs a gameplan, he said, to counter the Democrat Socialists of America’s propaganda. Becerra explained that much of the campaign has been dedicated to raising funds. The campaign recently received a boost from James Dolan, Madison Square Garden’s mogul. Dolan soured on Hochel and is now throwing his policial weight behind the Republican nominee. The campaign is turning to its ground game now. Expect Blakeman soon, Becerra promised.
Becerra also revealed the latest cash grab being introduced by Mayor Mamdani. He is proposing to change the estate tax laws to financially penalize families who pass down their homes after death to relatives. He plans to lower the New York State estate tax exemption from $7.1M to $750,000, which means almost every homeowner in Queens will be affected. A modest amount of property at death could generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes for the City. Families will need to sell assets simply to pay their tax liability after the death of a loved one.
Mamdani is not just taxing the rich, he is targeting the middle class with the ultimate goal of seizing property as much property as possible. Everyone was encouraged to attend an upcoming fundraiser for Blakeman at the Oasis Café in Flushing on September 8, 2026 at 7:30pm hosted by the Queens Village Republican Club.
Kathryn Donnelly is co-founder of the Kew Forest Republican Club.
By Kathryn Donnelly