NEW YORK – With Election Day fast approaching, the race for New York governor is intensifying. Both Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman campaigned in the city on Saturday, making appearances across the five boroughs.
Final weekend campaign stops highlight key issues
What we know:
Hochul stopped at Lenox Road Baptist Church in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, Saturday afternoon. She discussed her focus on affordability and her investments in child care, education and upping housing availability.
“THe other thing we’re laser focused on is building more housing here in New York State and here in Brooklyn,” Hochul said. “The only way rents will go down, where you’ll have the possibility of homeownership is if we build more supply and I’m sick and tired of those who say, ‘No, not in my neighborhood. No not over here.’ Everybody deserves to have a good roof over their heads and that’s what we’re fighting for.”
The other side:
Over in Queens, Blakeman rallied supporters at Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village. He criticized Hochul’s record on affordability, accusing the governor of leaving the door open to raising taxes.
“I want to be a governor who makes it affordable by putting more money in your pocket so your first $100,000 as a joint filer, no state income tax,” Blakeman said. “We can’t look our kids and grandkids in the eye and honestly say, ‘You’re going to have a better life in New York than I did,’ unless we change the leadership of this state.”
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Nearly 500,000 ballots already cast
By the numbers:
According to the city’s Board of Elections, more than 468,000 New Yorkers had cast early ballots as of Friday night. Brooklyn led the turnout with about 142,000 voters, followed by Manhattan and Queens.
What’s next:
Sunday is the final day of early voting, with polls open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Source: Information in this story includes reporting from FOX 5 NY’s Kelly Kennedy, who attended campaign events for Gov. Kathy Hochul and Bruce Blakeman on Saturday, Oct. 31; quotes from Hochul and Blakeman at those campaign events, and voting statistics from the New York City Board of Elections.
