Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman brought his campaign’s affordability message to Howard Beach on Tuesday, September 15, making utility costs the centerpiece of a press conference while underscoring an increasingly visible campaign presence in Queens.
Standing at 158-14 Cross Bay Blvd. alongside Republican Assembly candidate Col. (Ret.) Tom Sullivan, Councilwoman Joann Ariola, Brothers owner Angelo Pellegrino, and Broad Channel resident Margaret Wagner, Blakeman focused on the rising cost of electricity and what he described as the financial strain facing New York families and small businesses.
Blakeman criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recently announced utility-relief efforts, arguing that one-time payments do not address what he considers the underlying causes of high energy bills. New York’s POWER program, established in the 2026-27 state budget, is providing $1 billion in rebates to approximately 8.2 million New Yorkers, with eligible taxpayers receiving between $100 and $200 depending on income and filing status.
Blakeman instead called for broader changes to the state’s energy policies and said that, as governor, he would seek to reduce utility costs substantially. He pointed to increased natural-gas production and changes to renewable-energy mandates as part of his approach.
The issue has a significant cost-of-living dimension. According to the Empire Center, New York’s average residential electricity price reached 29.49 cents per kilowatt-hour in June 2026, 60.8 percent above the national average and the fifth-highest rate among the states.
Ariola reinforced the local impact, saying residents in her district are increasingly struggling with electricity costs, including homeowners who have invested in solar energy. Sullivan, who is campaigning for the 23rd Assembly District, said affordability remains one of the most frequent concerns he hears while traveling throughout southern Queens.
The Howard Beach appearance also comes as Blakeman’s campaign has been making more concerted efforts to establish itself in Queens during the critical fall campaign period.
Following a Queens leaders’ forum at the Young Israel of Queens Valley on August 24, where participants called for greater engagement from Blakeman personally and from his campaign, the Nassau County Executive has increased his appearances throughout the borough. His recent Queens schedule has included stops in Flushing, the Rockaways, Broad Channel, and Cambria Heights (in a visit to the Ohel Chabad-Lubavitch), as well as a September 8 gathering in Bayside that drew Queens Republican, business, Jewish, and community leaders.
That outreach has also extended into Queens’ Jewish community. Blakeman recently met with members and leaders of the borough’s Bukharian Jewish community in Richmond Hill, adding another appearance as the campaign seeks greater engagement with one of Queens’ diverse and politically active communities.
The growing Queens presence places the Howard Beach press conference within a broader campaign effort: taking Blakeman’s statewide affordability message directly into neighborhoods, meeting community leaders and candidates, and building relationships with Queens’ Jewish and other diverse communities as Election Day approaches.
With the campaign now making more frequent appearances in the borough, Queens is becoming an increasingly visible part of Blakeman’s gubernatorial campaign strategy.
Blakeman’s Queens schedule is set to continue on Monday, September 28, when he will meet with residents at Towers on the Green at North Shore Towers. The 7:30 p.m. gathering will give Blakeman another opportunity to discuss the issues facing New Yorkers and outline his priorities as governor, extending a series of recent appearances across the borough.
By Robert Pearl