Empire State of Mind

New York’s latest gubernatorial candidate keeps his Long Island home kosher, has a mezuzah on his office door, and even wore a yarmulke to his inauguration. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman — a popular Republican in a heavily Democratic district — hopes to take the success of his county, where taxes haven’t been raised in four years and the poverty rate is the lowest in the state, all the way to Albany

The New York state gubernatorial election is still eleven months off, but the race has already seen more than its fair share of drama. Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul is facing a primary challenge from her own lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado.

On the Republican side, three qualified candidates were expected to step in — and we now have two declarations, one suspension, and one abstention. The single remaining GOP contender is Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. As the race takes shape, Mishpacha took an opportunity to get to know the man whose convincing victory earlier this year showed him to be an outlier in politics — a Republican much beloved in a heavily Democratic district.

The second Jewish politician to run against Hochul (after Lee Zeldin), 70-year-old Blakeman “wears his faith on his sleeve,” in the words of aide, strategist, and former Lawrence political leader Michael Fragin. The candidate keeps his Long Island home kosher and a mezuzah on his office door, and he wore a yarmulke to his inauguration. I opened our conversation with a traditional “How are you?” to which he responded with an even more traditional, robust “Baruch Hashem!”

You have referred to yourself as AOB — can you explain that moniker?

When AOC [Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] came into prominence as a politician in New York City, my friends in the Jewish community said, “Bruce, you’re AOB.” When I asked what AOB was, they replied, “Almost-Orthodox Blakeman!” So, I come before C.