Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman is making New York’s high taxes and energy costs central to his challenge against Gov. Kathy Hochul, arguing that state policies are making it harder for residents and businesses to afford life in the Empire State.
Blakeman outlined his proposals during an October 14 campaign stop in Queensbury, where he renewed his pledge to eliminate state income taxes for joint filers earning less than $100,000 and single filers earning less than $50,000.
The Nassau County executive called the proposal the largest middle-income tax cut in state history. He also pointed to a report from the Citizens Budget Commission that identified New York’s state and local governments as the nation’s highest-taxing and second-highest-spending.
The commission cautioned that taxes are only part of the equation, arguing that the state must also improve public services and affordability to provide residents with greater value for their money.
Energy costs are another major component of the Republicans’ affordability argument. According to the Energy Information Administration, New York electricity prices averaged 27.4 cents per kilowatt-hour, compared with a national average of 17.25 cents.
Blakeman wants to eliminate the state’s renewable energy targets and pursue natural gas development along the Pennsylvania border. His proposal would require reversing New York’s longstanding fracking restrictions.
He argues that expanding natural gas production would lower energy costs and create jobs in the Southern Tier, a region he described as economically disadvantaged.
Environmental advocates strongly oppose that approach. The New York League of Conservation Voters included Blakeman on its Dirty Dozen list, criticizing his support for rolling back clean-energy policies and expanding fossil fuel production.
Blakeman defended his position by arguing that environmental policies must produce tangible benefits rather than impose costs without sufficient returns.
Hochul, meanwhile, has defended her economic record, pointing to tax relief and other initiatives while attempting to tie Blakeman to President Donald Trump.
With Election Day approaching, the Republican is betting that affordability will prove more consequential than the governor’s efforts to nationalize the race.
