New York Knicks owner James Dolan is urging members of the city’s business community to abandon Gov. Kathy Hochul and instead support her Republican rival, Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman. Both outlets report that Dolan is putting significant financial weight behind Blakeman through political spending intended to influence the governor’s race.
The New York Times and New York Post frame Dolan’s campaign efforts with slightly different emphasis. The Times notes Dolan’s past support for Hochul and says he is now backing Blakeman after spending millions to support the former supporter’s opponent. The New York Post highlights Dolan’s direct appeal to business leaders and quotes the challenge to act “before its too late,” pointing to the role of Dolan-backed political spending.
Both accounts describe the Dolan-connected Super PAC Strong and Safe New York as the mechanism for the funding, and both link the political pivot to Dolan’s criticism of Hochul’s alliances and alignment in New York City politics, including her relationship with Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
