Top Democratic Donor Drops Incumbent For GOP Opponent

A longtime Democratic donor is crossing party lines in New York’s governor’s race, giving Republican Bruce Blakeman a notable boost as he tries to unseat Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg, the widow of former Democratic New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg, is supporting Blakeman and plans to hold a fundraiser for his campaign, according to the New York Post.

The move has caught the attention of Democratic political circles, particularly because Lautenberg has a history of donating to Democratic candidates.

“It’s the talk of the Hamptons,” one Democrat told the Post, describing Lautenberg’s support as a significant pickup for Blakeman. “It’s a good get for Bruce.”

Lautenberg, a 79-year-old philanthropist, donated $1,000 to Hochul’s re-election campaign in July 2025. That contribution was consistent with her long record of supporting Democrats, making her decision to help Blakeman stand out even more.

Still, Lautenberg framed the decision in personal rather than partisan terms.

“Bruce is a longtime friend and neighbor. He’s a great guy,” she said while confirming plans to host a fundraiser for him.

“I am honored to have the support of Bonnie Lautenberg in my campaign for governor,” he said.

The development comes as the race between Hochul and Blakeman appears to be tightening.

A Siena poll released in August found Hochul leading Blakeman among likely New York voters, 49 percent to 39 percent. While that still gives the governor a 10-point advantage, the gap is considerably smaller than it was in June, when Hochul led 52 percent to 32 percent.

The August survey included 811 likely voters and had a margin of error of 4.2 percentage points.

Siena pollster Steven Greenberg noted that Hochul remains below the 50 percent mark despite holding the lead. He also pointed to the 2022 governor’s race for comparison. At roughly the same point in that campaign, Hochul led Republican Lee Zeldin by 14 points before eventually winning the election by six.

The latest poll also showed mixed views of Hochul personally. Forty-nine percent of likely voters viewed her unfavorably, compared with 46 percent who had a favorable opinion.

Blakeman, meanwhile, remains less familiar to a large portion of the electorate. Thirty-three percent viewed him favorably and 26 percent unfavorably, while 40 percent said they did not know enough about him to form an opinion.

Both candidates continue to receive overwhelming support from voters within their own parties. Hochul led among Democrats by 80 percent to 8 percent, while Blakeman led among Republicans by 84 percent to 9 percent.

Independent voters were more closely divided, with Blakeman holding a narrow 45 percent to 40 percent advantage.

Geography is also shaping the contest. Hochul held a large lead in New York City, where she was ahead 64 percent to 19 percent. Blakeman led in the downstate suburbs by 49 percent to 41 percent, while the two candidates were essentially even upstate.

The poll also found differences across demographic groups. Hochul performed strongly among women, Latino voters and Black voters, while the candidates were running much closer among men and white voters.

On individual issues, Hochul held her strongest advantage on affordable housing, where voters said she would do a better job by a 16-point margin. Her advantage was much narrower on affordability, energy, public safety and immigration.

With less than three months remaining before Election Day, Lautenberg’s decision to support Blakeman gives his campaign a prominent cross-party endorsement at a time when polling suggests the race has become more competitive than it was earlier in the summer.

The Western Journal