Republican challenger calls Hochul most pro-criminal governor amid subway safety fears

Bruce Blakeman, the Republican running for governor of New York, took aim at Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul on a crowded Monday campaign ride through the New York City subway system. He called her "the most pro-criminal governor" while passengers worried about violent crimes and their own safety.

"I have not heard from one person, and from all the people, that it's safer on the subways and public transportation in New York," Blakeman stated clearly as he rode past other commuters. "I've heard just the opposite. Everybody says they feel less safe."

"So we want them to feel safe," he replied.

Blakeman currently serves as an executive for Nassau County and previously worked as a commissioner for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He was campaigning in this dense city, which remains overwhelmingly under Democratic control.

"Hire more police officers, hire more conductors, clean up our subways and get help for those who are emotionally ill – get them help that they need; not have them roam around our subways," Blakeman told reporters during the trip. He directed these words at both Governor Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in this deeply blue region.

"The crime in the subways has gone up tremendously under Kathy Hochul and Zohran Mamdani," Blakeman lamented. "They are not committed to public safety. I will be committed to public safety. I will make sure that our public transportation is safer and cleaner for the traveling public."

"That's how you get more people back in public transportation, not by putting a tax on them with congestion pricing, which is nothing more than a tax on the middle class," he added.

Blakeman accused Democrats of acting as negative influences on safety. He singled out Hochul for "reduced the number of conductors on our trains and subways." More patrols in subway cars and better lighting are top priorities for him, but so is returning to having more conductors working the lines.

Hochul vetoed Albany legislation that would have forced conductors onto more subway trains. That decision kept the MTA's one-person train operation program alive instead of adopting the June 2025 state-passed bill requiring at least two-person crews, which includes an operator and a conductor.

Hochul vetoed that bill on Dec. 5, 2025. She argued it would restrict MTA modernization efforts and cost up to $10 million annually.

"Police are very important, but I think people feel very comfortable and very safe when they see a conductor," Blakeman said. "I want to increase the numbers so that people feel safe."

Blakeman labeled Hochul "the most pro-criminal governor in the United States of America," pointing to various criminal-justice and immigration policies as proof.

"Whether it's cashless bail, Raise the Age, the HALT Act, Clean Slate, or refusing to cooperate with ICE and federal agents, she has made us less safe," he said. These are Democrat-backed laws that police groups have long rebuked alongside Republican public safety hawks.

Cashless bail limits when judges can require defendants to post money for release. Raise the Age generally keeps 16- and 17-year-olds out of adult criminal court. The HALT Act limits solitary confinement and changes prison disciplinary practices. The Clean Slate law seals certain criminal convictions from public view after a designated waiting period.

"People feel less safe in every community that I go to in New York State," Blakeman said.