New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman debated Tuesday night on NY1, with exchanges over immigration, accusations of ties to white supremacists and Hochul's past comments about Black children in the Bronx.
Blakeman asked Hochul whether she would apologize to families of people he said were killed by illegal immigrants and asked her to return calls from Sheridan Gorman's parents about her sanctuary policy. Fox News reported that Hochul did not directly apologize and instead pointed to Americans killed by federal immigration agents. After Hochul accused him of associating with white supremacists, Blakeman denied it and raised her 2024 remark that Black children in the Bronx did not know the word “computer.” The New York Post said Hochul later said she had misspoken.