Democrats accuse Blakeman of "political motivations" about masks

                                                                                     

Nassau Democratic minority at a news conference earlier this year (from Nassau County website)

Minority Democrats on the Nassau Legislature today accused incoming Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman of playing politics with the indoor mask mandate ordered by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.

"Just one day after the Omicron variant was discovered in Nassau County, it is naïve for County Executive-elect Blakeman to declare that ‘we’ll never be in crisis again’ during the remainder of the pandemic,” said William Biamonte, Chief of Staff of the Nassau County Legislature’s Minority Caucus.

“Such a statement illustrates the political motivations behind this decision," Biamonte said in a statement.

Blakeman reiterated at a news conference today that he would not enforce the Hochul mask mandate when he takes office Jan. 1.

Using state health department emergency regulations, Hochul last Friday ordered that all New York businesess and public buildings must require employees and visitors to wear masks if their vaccination status is not verified at the door.

But several Republican county executives in New York immediately declared they would not comply. 

By mid-Monday, Hochul backed off and said she would leave it to counties to enforce the mandate, which carries an undefined $1,000 fine.

After wearing a mask at the county legislative meeting, Blakeman then announced he would not enforce the mandate in Nassau when he takes office Jan. 1. During his successful campaign against incumbent Democratic County Executive Laura Curran, Blakman had rallied against masking school children.

Biamonte did not elaborate on Blakeman's political motivations. But a Democratic source said Blakeman, and other Republicans in the state, "want to sow chaos and irritation before the gubernatorial election...to get get people pissed off."

"They just want to mess up Hochul," the source said.

Hochul was New York's nearly unknown Lt.Governor from Buffalo when she automatically became governor after Andrew Cuomo resigned under fire in August. He has denied any wrongdoing.

The new governor, 63, almost immediately declared that she would be running for the job next year, supported by Nassau and State Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs.

Nassau Democrats are hosting a Hochul fundraiser this evening.

Hochul's campaign was boosted when Attorney General Letitia James, who issued two critical reports about Cuomo this year, dropped out of the governor's race last week. 

But U.S. Congressman Tom Suozzi, a moderate from Glen Cove, and City Advocate Jumaane Williams, a progressive from Brooklyn,  say they still intend to seek the Democratic nomination for governor in the party's primary next year.

U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, a Shirley Republican, is the leading GOP gubernatorial candidate.

Though New York is a blue state, a red wave engulfed local Democrats on Long Island and some upstate districts in November, giving Republicans hope for winning statewide next year.

"I think it would be foolish for any Democrat to take Zeldin lightly," the Democratic source said.