New York Gov. Kathy Hochul went head-to-head in a debate with Republican challenger Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman for the first and only time this election cycle on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
The two candidates faced off in an hourlong back and forth from Spectrum News' Chelsea studio in Manhattan. Hochul continued her push to connect Blakeman to the unpopular Republican president, calling Blakeman the president of Donald Trump's fan club at one point, while Blakeman countered by asserting Hochul kept using that attack to deflect from her record as governor that was marked by "failure and misery."
Shortly after the debate's conclusion, Blakeman's campaign asserted the candidate "delivered a knockout performance," while Hochul's campaign issued
statements praising the governor's record in fighting for New Yorkers in the face of crises created primarily by Trump and Republicans in Washington.
Here are some takeaways from the debate.
Hochul says ICE is 'out of control' as Blakeman defends his county's cooperation with the agency
Immigration, and specifically the use of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New York, has been a hot-button issue throughout this year's gubernatorial race, especially in recent days after a man was shot by ICE agents in New York City.
Blakeman, who again reiterated his plan to remove the state's sanctuary status "on day one" if elected, bashed the recent policy changes included in this year's budget that end cooperation pacts between ICE and local law enforcement statewide.
"We got over 2,000 illegal migrants out of my county with criminal records ranging from rape, attempted murder, robbery, burglary, drug dealing, carjacking, gang activity," Blakeman said. "And that's because we cooperated with ICE. And we didn't raid one school, one hospital, one daycare center or one church. If you cooperate with federal law enforcement, it makes for a safe community."
Hochul, on the other hand, says ICE is "out of control."
"I spent $4 billion to support our men and women in blue," Hochul said. "They know I have their backs, and I want to make sure that they're keeping our communities safe, not being deputized as ICE agents, which is what (Blakeman) did. And maybe that's why Nassau County had a 10-year high in violent crimes on your watch. Maybe because they're too distracted trying to be ICE agents."
Blakeman countered that claim by citing a U.S. News and World ranking that had Nassau County as the safest in the country, which Hochul asserted came thanks to crime reductions under his predecessor as county executive.
Blakeman all in on extracting Marcellus Shale gas; Hochul touts her 'all-of-the-above' energy approach
If there's one word to summarize the focus of this year's race for governor in New York, it would be affordability. When asked about utility costs, Hochul reiterated her "all-of-the-above" approach to energy in battling with Blakeman on Tuesday night and pointed fingers at Washington, D.C.
"I did do energy rebates just as a short term solution ... I'm trying to do nuclear but the White House, playing politics, won't sign off on it," Hochul said. "We're doing the best we can, but don't overlook the facts. That is the war with Iran is driving up gasoline costs and energy costs almost double what they were in the past ... That is a real cost of energy that people are dealing with and it was so unnecessary."
And while Hochul asserted that Blakeman supports Trump's vision for energy in New York — large data centers, oil rigs, fossil-fuel-generating factories — her opponent says those aren't his policies.
"We are sitting on one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world, and you won't let us extract that natural gas," Blakeman said in response to Hochul, while responding to her attacks on his opposition to her data center moratorium by asserting local communities should have the right to approve or deny the projects.
"I would extract the natural gas from the Marcellus Shale," Blakeman later said. "We'll get rid of that green energy scam of Kathy Hochul, and I will cut your utility bills in half, just like they did in Pennsylvania."
Hochul touts data center moratorium as Blakeman calls AI 'just another tool'
Multiple artificial intelligence-related issues have been at the center of this year's gubernatorial race in New York, including data centers, AI regulations and the use of AI in campaign advertisements.
Hochul deflected a question about whether she would sign any additional legislation that would impose further regulations on data centers in the state, but touted her recent executive order temporarily banning large-scale data centers in the state.
And while Blakeman didn't directly detail his stance on the state's current moratorium, he asserted Hochul "took (upstate New Yorkers') right away to make decisions about data centers."
The governor was, however, more open to sharing her position on the use of AI in campaign ads, accusing Blakeman of trying to mislead voters with his recent ads. Hochul also said she plans to revisit a bill that prohibits the use of AI in campaign ads completely within close proximity to elections. Blakeman dismissed his campaign's use of AI as "just another tool."
As for stronger AI regulations, Blakeman said "people have a right to be compensated" if they're harmed by AI, and Hochul said there has to be consequences for "out of control" AI.
Emily Barnes covers state government for the USA TODAY Network-New York with a focus on how policy and laws impact New Yorkers' taxes, communities and jobs. Follow her on Instagram or X @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Hochul, Blakeman debate ICE, energy, data centers in governor's race
