Nassau 2025: Is Blakeman (R) Jinxed for Re-Election by the White House?

"In the last eight county executive races, Nassau voters elected the candidate from the opposing political party of the president — a phenomenon that looms over Republican Bruce Blakeman as he campaigns in a November reelection bid. The pattern doesn't exist in Suffolk and might speak to the unpredictability of voters in Nassau who have selected both seasoned politicians and government newbies to manage the county," noted Newsday.

"For two years, Blakeman led a plan to build a $6 billion casino resort on the county-owned Nassau Coliseum property in Uniondale and a $3 billion NYU Langone medical center on the campus of Nassau Community College. The medical center project folded in March, and last month, casino company Las Vegas Sands announced it would not apply for a state gaming license."

Like current Democratic candidate Seth Koslow, former County Executive Ed Mangano (R) was a lesser-known County Legislator before a shocking defeat of then-County Executive Tom Suozzi (D) in 2009 following President Obama's 2008 win. 

Blakeman himself was a low-profile Hempstead Town Council Member when he surprisingly defeated now-former County Exec. Laura Curran (D) in 2021 - the year after former President Joe Biden's (D) White House win.