New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman debated immigration, affordability, energy costs and public safety Tuesday, Oct. 13, ahead of the Nov. 3 gubernatorial election. The 60-minute debate, hosted by Spectrum News NY1 in New York City, highlighted differences in their policies and records, according to Eyewitness News.
Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, defended his cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying his county had helped remove more than 2,000 people with criminal records.
The discussion followed an Oct. 8 incident in Marble Hill, Manhattan, in which an ICE agent shot a man during an attempted arrest while his 5-year-old son was in the vehicle. The man survived.
"We got over 2,000 illegal migrants out of my county with criminal records ranging from rape, attempted murder, robbery, burglary, drug dealing, carjacking, gang activity. And that's because we cooperated with ICE and we didn't raid one school, one hospital, one daycare center or one church," Blakeman said.
Hochul criticized the agents’ use of force, while Blakeman blamed the governor’s immigration policies, arguing that they hinder cooperation with federal authorities. Hochul rejected the accusation and said violent offenders who are in the country illegally should be removed. The exchange highlighted broader disagreements over immigration enforcement and community safety.
Affordability was another major issue. Blakeman criticized high taxes, utility bills and state regulations. He also pledged to reduce electricity costs. Hochul blamed President Donald Trump’s energy policies for contributing to higher costs and defended her administration’s efforts to expand energy production and limit the impact of large data centers. Protesters outside the debate argued that the governor’s proposed one-year moratorium on certain data centers did not go far enough.
"That's not how you conduct yourself. ICE is out of control. It's out of control, and in Nassau County," said Hochul.
Trump remained a recurring topic, with Hochul questioning Blakeman’s support for the president. Blakeman said former President Dwight D. Eisenhower remained his choice for the greatest president of his lifetime, while leaving open the possibility that Trump could change his assessment before the end of the term.
Blakeman also emphasized his support for abortion rights and a guest-worker program for law-abiding undocumented immigrants, distinguishing his positions from Trump’s.
Hochul highlighted statewide crime statistics from her tenure as governor. The candidates’ competing positions on immigration, household costs, energy policy and public safety are likely to remain central to the campaign as voters prepare to choose New York’s next governor.
