Inside a small town banquet hall in Greece, a boisterous Bruce Blakeman made a pitch to voters: With enough effort, he said, we can turn Monroe County red.
It's a common refrain on the campaign trail, no matter which party you're following. But the Republican gubernatorial candidate's words hit differently on Sept. 18 as local GOP leaders try to rebuild after a wave of devastating losses
on Election Day last year.Democrats in 2025 flipped town supervisor seats in six Monroe County towns and held onto the top post in two others. The biggest upset happened here, in Greece, which has long been considered a Republican stronghold despite a slight enrollment advantage for Democrats.
Greece voters elected the first Democratic supervisor in 120 years
and lifted another to the Republican-controlled town board.
"The Republican party is alive and well in Monroe County, but Republicans have to get out to vote," Monroe County GOP Chairman Peter Elder said outside Blakeman's rally. "It is critical to make sure that their opinions and points-of-view are known. The county is not lost, but it takes everyone working together to make sure that we can win the county back."
He called Blakeman's visit the energy voters needed to regroup.
Blakeman and other Republican candidates said New York voters are frustrated with high living costs, policies that prohibit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and what Republicans claim is a "revolving door of criminality" supported by recent bail reforms.
Their comments were met with raucous applause from a mostly white, older crowd of about 150, many dressed in baseball caps and star-spangled T-shirts, with Bruce Blakeman yard signs tucked at their feet.
Republicans have pointed to this enthusiasm as the source of their revival. This was Blakeman's third visit to Monroe County in one month. He is undoubtedly faced with a steep effort, however: The latest Siena University poll has Blakeman trailing Gov. Kathy Hochul by 10 points, and Republicans have not won a statewide race since 2002.
Monroe County is a strong blue pocket among the more red-leaning sections of upstate New York ― though Democrats struggled until 2023 to seize control of county politics. Today, Democrats lead the county with 41% of registered voters, followed by 32% listed as unaffiliated and 25% Republican.
Monroe County Democratic Committee Chairman Stephen DeVay said the party has been building momentum since 2019 through door-knocking, community meetings and strong policies that respond to residents' needs. He pointed to recent Hochul investments in revitalization efforts, jobs and childcare subsidies as boots-on-the-ground work that voters look for and appreciate.
"Bruce Blakeman can visit as often as he likes, but visits don't win elections," DeVay said. "Organizing does. ... That's the difference between leadership that delivers for Monroe County and Bruce Blakeman and Trump's 100% MAGA agenda, which is driving up costs on everything from gas to groceries. New Yorkers know which one is actually working for them."
But Blakeman says he has overcome the odds before: Nassau County voters elected him county executive in 2021, even though registered Democrats outnumbered Republicans by 100,000. He told voters in Greece to remind their friends, coworkers, relatives and neighbors to vote up until the polls close at 9 p.m. Nov. 3.
"We can take back this county," he said. "One of the problems that we have, especially in upstate New York, is people who agree with us ― people who believe in the things we believe ― don't vote because they think it's futile. They think that New York City will overrun their vote. Let me tell you something: If we get out all of our people, we're going to win this election."
― Includes reporting by New York State Team reporter Chris McKenna
― Kayla Canne covers community safety for the Democrat and Chronicle with a focus on immigration, police accountability, government surveillance and how people are impacted by violence. Follow her on Instagram @bykaylacanne. Get in touch at kcanne@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Can Republicans turn Monroe County red? Blakeman says yes
