Why Bruce Blakeman has won this NYC businessmans vote for governor

Disclaimer: I’m an entrepreneur, not a politician or a commentator.But I absolutely love New York — and I want the best for our city, our state and the people who call them home.After watching Tuesday’s gubernatorial debate, one thing became clear to me: Bruce Blakeman is running against Kathy Hochul, but Kathy Hochul thinks she’s running against Donald Trump.That’s unacceptable.New Yorkers deserve a debate about the state we live in, and the record of those running it, not mere political theatre.And that’s just one of the reasons why Blakeman has won my vote.Another is this: Checks and balances are critical.As a moderate, I really dislike the extremes of both parties.In New York, Democrats control the governor’s office and both chambers of the state legislature; with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists pushing us further left, we need a governor willing to challenge that agenda.When extremes gain influence, no party should get a blank check.Another factor: Dead last is unacceptable.New York ranks 50th in the 2026 ALEC Laffer economic outlook index, which evaluates all 50 states on policy variables like taxes, labor policy and fiscal policy.With our talent, businesses and resources, we should be setting the standard — but our policies put us at the very bottom.Why? Partly because our taxes put us at a competitive disadvantage.New York’s aggregate state and local tax burden is the highest in the country, 71% above the national average.Partly, too, because of energy costs that are crushing affordability.New York’s average residential electricity rate was approximately 63% above the national average in July; families and businesses feel that every month.Hochul should be held accountable for all of it. So no wonder people (and companies) are voting with their feet, fleeing left and right to places like Florida and Texas, states with zero state individual income tax.We cannot ignore the competition.When families, entrepreneurs and empl...