Watch: Kathy Hochul Stumbles in Debate Opening Statement and Republican Opponent Bruce Blakeman Pounces
A televised debate on Tuesday evening between Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman started off noticeably rough for the incumbent governor.
During her opening remarks, Hochul repeatedly stumbled over her words.
“New York state now has the lowest crime rates it’s had in modern history,” she began confidently enough. “Now, we’re not done yet, and you’re going to hear a lot of…”
After a momentary but very conspicuous pause, she continued, “Well, a lot of… different opinions here this evening.”
Kathy Hochul is barely able to get out her opening statement at this debate.
Almost sounds like someone who doesn’t want to face the facts on what she’s done to New York as governor. https://t.co/sd9MnEEKar
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) October 13, 2026
Perhaps buoyed by her hesitation and stumbling, Blakeman proceeded to rip into the governor throughout the remainder of the debate.
Blakeman, who serves as the 10th County Executive of Nassau County, New York, started by bashing Hochul over her response to the non-fatal shooting last week by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents of an illegal alien gangbanger.
“This guy came into the country illegally,” Blakeman noted, according to Fox News. “He’s been convicted of a crime. He’s got pending charges for dealing drugs, poison to our children. And he’s a gangbanger. This is who Kathy Hochul is defending?”
Stunningly, Hochul responded by chastising him for refusing “to condemn what ICE did,” which was to shoot and arrest a gangbanger.
According to conservative political consultant Ryan James Girdusky, Hochul performed so badly during the debate that a Democrat who works for her described Blakeman “mauling her.”
A Democrat who works for Hochul,
“Blakeman is mauling her… I’m gonna have to knock on doors at this rate”
— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) October 13, 2026
Later in the debate, Hochul tried to pivot toward attacking the Trump administration over the economy, but Blakeman quickly pushed back by directing the focus back onto her questionable track record.
“You like to talk about Donald Trump all the time, because you don’t want to talk about your record because it’s a record of misery and failure,” he insisted. “The highest taxes, utility rates that are 70 percent higher than the national average.”
Speaking with the New York Post after the debate, body-language expert Dr. Lillian Glass said that Hochul looked like “a deer in headlights” during most of the debate. Glass was particularly critical of the governor’s opening remarks.
“It did not come off well, especially for somebody who is an incumbent governor,” she said, adding that it showed a lack of preparation. “Not good. Not a good look.”
Blakeman’s three best moments vs. Hochul at the NY governor debate: Mamdani, the $8 billion, and utility bills. “Because of you, Kathy.” https://t.co/ZvcWo0Y1Rn
— Sean Hannity 🇺🇸 (@seanhannity) October 14, 2026
E. O’Brien “Obi” Murray, a political consultant and campaign manager, agreed with the “deer in headlights” criticism.
“Hochul showed why she doesn’t want to debate; she is out of practice,” he said to the New York Post. “She was a deer in the headlights from the opening statements and back on her heels for the remainder of the debate.”
Murray added that Blakeman’s best moments came when he focused on immigration at the beginning of the debate.
“He dominated the first 15 minutes talking immigration and high energy costs in New York State,” Murray said. “That’s what most viewers would see before they lost interest.”
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