NY-GOV: Blakeman can unlock millions in campaign matching funds, appeals court says

Republican Bruce Blakeman will be allowed to access roughly $4 million in public funds for his campaign in the 2026 New York governor’s race, an Albany-based appellate court ruled Thursday.

The Appellate Division, Third Department unanimously upheld a lower court’s ruling that overturned the state Public Campaign Finance Board’s March decision that Blakeman’s campaign was ineligible to access matching funds because it had not correctly filed for them.

Blakeman, the Nassau County executive running to unseat Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in November’s election, said he was “very gratified and very happy” that the appellate division upheld the ruling against the campaign finance board. He continued to criticize the board’s 4-3 decision as partisan, as only the Democratic members voted to deny him the matching funds.

“We all knew from day one that this was dirty politics and this was something that was done to try and frustrate our ability to get matching funds even though we complied with everything that was required under the statute,” Blakeman said at a press conference. “It gives me great confidence that we have an independent judiciary.”



https://www.amny.com/law/republican-blakeman-court-affirms-matching-funds/