Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman Accuses Ed Cox of ‘Lost Playbook’ in New York GOP Race

By James Morley III | Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman accused New York GOP Chair Ed Cox of having a “lost playbook” after the latter endorsed Rep. Elise Stefanik as the state’s Republican challenger to Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Speaking to Spectrum News on Wednesday, Blakeman said Cox “hasn’t won. He’s lost virtually every race as state chairman, and maybe he needs to look at his playbook and maybe get a different playbook.”

In November, Cox endorsed Stefanik, stating she is “a unifier and a party builder with the brains, the guts and the resources to win statewide next year.”

Cox added: “She has fought for our principles every day of her career, and never backs down. She is the warrior we need to lead the fight against Democrats’ corrupt Albany machine,” roughly a month before Blakeman announced his candidacy.

Stefanik, a prominent ally of President Donald Trump in the House, launched her campaign after months of speculation and is widely regarded as the early GOP front-runner for the nomination.

Blakeman, known for focusing public safety and affordability in his Nassau County administration and campaign, has attracted statewide attention through high-profile conservative initiatives.

In an exclusive interview with Newsmax Tuesday, Blakeman emphasized that he is running against Hochul, not Stefanik, and highlighted his history of drawing non-Republican voters.

“Everybody wants the same thing,” Blakeman said. “They want safe neighborhoods and they want low taxes. They want economic development. They want jobs. They want prosperity. They want a better place to live for their kids and their grandkids.”

While President Trump described both candidates as “great people,” the Stefanik campaign criticized Blakeman’s entry into the race, calling it an “early Christmas present” for Hochul that would blow Republicans’ best chance to win.