# Mayor Mamdani flashpoint in Hochul-Blakeman debate

> Hochul and Blakeman debate over Trump ties, taxes, crime as Mamdani becomes political liability.
- Title: Mayor Mamdani flashpoint in Hochul-Blakeman debate | Shortify
- Summary: Hochul and Blakeman debate over Trump ties, taxes, crime as Mamdani becomes political liability. Hochul and Blakeman clash over Trump, taxes, crime, and…
- Keywords: kathy hochul, bruce blakeman, zohran mamdani, new york governor, gubernatorial debate, political liability, antisemite, news, local, Mayor, Mamdani, flashpoint
- Source: ABC7 New York — https://abc7ny.com/post/ny-governors-race-hochul-blakeman-spar-debate-mamdani-takes-spotlight/19938879
- Published: 2026-10-14T22:39:25+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: kathy hochul, bruce blakeman, zohran mamdani, new york governor, gubernatorial debate, political liability, antisemite, news, local
## Hochul and Blakeman debate
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican candidate Bruce Blakeman traded attacks over taxes, utility rates, crime, immigration and Trump during a debate.
## Hochul ties Blakeman to Trump
Hochul repeatedly tied Blakeman to Trump during the debate, saying he would bring Trump-style leadership to Albany.

> He says that he's going to bring Trump-style leadership to Albany. You support every single thing that Donald Trump does.
## Hochul criticizes economic conditions
Hochul criticized economic conditions and U.S. foreign policy, saying people are suffering from high costs and global conflicts.

> If you bought groceries lately, my God, the people are suffering. And that didn't have to be the case. Why are we at war with the rest of the world?
## Blakeman blames Hochul for taxes
Blakeman blamed Hochul for higher taxes and utility rates, claiming the governor's policies caused economic hardship.

> You like to talk about Donald Trump all the time because you don't want to talk about your record.
## Blakeman calls Mamdani antisemite
Blakeman called Zohran Mamdani an antisemite, anti-Christian, and lacking American values during the debate.

> Zohran Mamdani is an antisemite. I believe he's anti-Christian, and I don't think he has American values.
## Hochul dismisses Blakeman's remarks
Hochul dismissed Blakeman's comments about Mamdani, saying they are a great partner and she won't respond to the criticism.

> The mayor and I are great partners, are working hard together. And I'm not going to give him the dignity of responding to those kind of crazy comments.
## Mamdani calls himself asset
Mamdani said his administration's work makes the city more affordable for working families, calling him an asset to Hochul's campaign.

> I think the work that we're doing is an asset, because the work that we're doing over 10 months has been to make the city more affordable for working families.
## Key takeaway

Hochul and Blakeman clash over Trump, taxes, crime, and immigration during debate as Mamdani is called an antisemite by Blakeman.