# Prison guards union dumps Hochul, backs Blakeman for governor

> Correction officers overwhelmingly endorse Republican challenger after Hochul fired 2,000 workers during last year's strike.
- Title: Prison guards union dumps Hochul, backs Blakeman for governor
- Summary: Correction officers overwhelmingly endorse Republican challenger after Hochul fired 2,000 workers during last year's strike. New York's correction officers…
- Keywords: bruce blakeman, kathy hochul, nyscopba, correction officers, new york, governor race, prison strike, national guard, nassau county, chris summers, 2026 election, news
- Source: New York Post — https://nypost.com/2026/09/15/us-news/ny-correction-officers-back-blakeman-for-governor-as-hochul-faces-heat-over-state-prison-crisis
- Published: 2026-09-15T22:19:30+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: bruce blakeman, kathy hochul, nyscopba, correction officers, new york, governor race, prison strike, national guard, nassau county, chris summers, 2026 election, news
## Correction officers endorse Blakeman
The New York State Correctional Officers union voted 1,370 to 78 to back Republican Bruce Blakeman for governor. It's the first time the union has endorsed in a statewide race.
## Hochul fired 2,000 officers
Gov. Hochul terminated 2,000 correction officers during last year's illegal wildcat strike. She deployed thousands of National Guard troops to staff prisons in their place.
## Guard troops still deployed
Several thousand National Guard members remain at state prisons more than a year after the strike ended. The deployment costs taxpayers millions of dollars monthly.
## Prison staffing still down
State prisons had 14,000 correction officers before the strike but only 11,113 as of last month. An aggressive recruitment drive hasn't filled the gap.
## Blakeman promises to rehire
The Nassau County executive pledged to bring back every officer Hochul fired. He said the governor walked away from workers who demanded safer workplaces.

> I am honored to have your support and make no mistake, when I'm governor, we're bringing law and order back to New York
## Hochul hits back at rival
Hochul's campaign attacked Blakeman for appointing a campaign donor to run Nassau's jail, then rehiring him after promising not to. Her team called his public safety record terrible.
## Key takeaway

New York's correction officers union made its first-ever statewide endorsement, backing Bruce Blakeman after Gov. Hochul fired 2,000 officers during an illegal strike.