Blakeman calls Hochul corporate tax plan ‘tax on middle class families’

SPECIAL: Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is considering a gubernatorial bid, while Gov. Kathy Hochul, DY, is reportedly considering a corporate tax increase; It’s a move the New York Republican described to Fox News Digital as “a tax on the middle class.”

Blakeman said a decision on his political future would come “very soon” as he travels around New York state to determine whether he has “the support to take it to the next level.”

But as Blakeman ponders his political future, he is raising alarms that Hochul is reportedly planning to raise taxes on corporations to fund the state’s budget deficit and fulfill Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s socialist campaign agenda. According to Politico.

“This is a tax on the middle class,” Blakeman told Fox News Digital. “This will make jobs cheaper. It will increase inflation and make New York less competitive. Companies are already leaving our state in record numbers. Jobs are leaving our state. People are leaving our state. This corporate tax increase will drive higher net worth individuals and companies away from New York State and will be an economic disaster.”

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Kyle Strober, executive director of the Association for a Better Long Island, the region’s leading economic development advocacy organization, told Fox News Digital that a corporate tax increase could be “potentially devastating” for the Long Island economy.

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“Long Island, whose economy is closely aligned with New York City, already faces many challenges, including high taxes, high costs of living, and a lack of housing that drives potential employees and employers out of the area,” Strober said, adding that a corporate tax increase “will only serve to drive away additional businesses and high-income earners who pay the majority of the state’s tax revenue.”

“When this occurs, the tax burden is shifted to Long Island’s hard-working middle class. It is becoming apparent that this tax proposal would be in direct conflict with a stated goal of Albany leadership: making New York more affordable for our middle class,” he explained.

ABLI led efforts to oppose Albany’s tax hike proposals in 2021 and 2025, particularly tax hikes on the top 1% of New Yorkers and raising the corporate tax rate.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman celebrates his re-election on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, in Long Island, New York. (District Management Office)

Hochul faced pressure from the socialist wing of the Democratic Party to raise taxes so Mamdani could deliver on ambitious campaign promises, including fast and free buses, universal child care and city-run grocery stores.

Mamdani campaigned to raise taxes on the top 1% of New Yorkers and raise the state’s corporate tax from 7.25% to 11.5%, to match New Jersey’s rate. Any tax increase would require approval from Hochul in Albany.

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While the relatively moderate governor supported Mamdani after he secured the Democratic nomination, Hochul said Mamdani’s supporters encouraged Hochul to chant “Tax the rich!” He argued that he would not raise taxes on the top 1% of New Yorkers.

“This has become a one-party state, led by the far-left, woke, progressive segment of the Democratic Party, currently led by Zohran Mamdani, the elected mayor of New York City and an avowed social democrat,” Blakeman said, accusing Mamdani of masquerading as a “communist.” he said.

“He has anti-American values,” Blakeman said. “He’s anti-business. It’s going to destroy the economy of the greatest financial city in the world, New York, the financial capital of the world. And that’s going to have a material impact on my borough, which is on the border with New York City.”

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, center, spoke out Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, along with elected officials and business leaders to oppose corporate tax increases. (District Management Office)

Blakeman said Hochul raising taxes on corporations would be a “disaster.” Asked how the state should approach Mamdani after her election night success, Blakeman said Republican leadership needs to step up and “step back” in New York state.

“When he wants to do crazy things like give free bus rides to everyone, which will be nothing more than homeless shelters on wheels, when he doesn’t want to prosecute criminals for crimes, when he wants to raise taxes and raise the corporate tax rate, and when he wants to tax the rich who will drive people out of New York State and take their jobs with them, we have to step back.”

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New York City handed power to its far left wing on Election Day, while neighboring Nassau County re-elected Blakeman, an ally of President Donald Trump.

“I won because I remained committed to American values ​​and American principles. I didn’t raise taxes a penny in four years. I hired 600 new law enforcement officers. I declared Nassau County a sanctuary county. I showed leadership and reached out to communities the Republican Party had ignored in the past,” Blakeman said, explaining how he built a broad coalition of support across diverse communities.

New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul hold hands on stage while attending the “New York Is Not For Sale” rally at Forest Hills Stadium in the Queens borough of New York City on October 26, 2025. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

When reached for comment, Hochul campaign spokeswoman Sarafina Chitika told Fox News Digital that the governor is “cutting middle-class taxes while putting inflation refund checks in the pockets of New Yorkers.”

“Bruce Blakeman is the number one fan of Trump’s tariffs that raise costs for families and make everything more expensive for small businesses; while the governor is focused on cutting costs, Blakeman is shilling for Donald Trump’s tariff tax increases,” Chitika charged.

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Since his re-election earlier this month, Blakeman said business and political leaders have encouraged him to launch a campaign for governor, given his executive experience.

But while rumors swirl about Blakeman’s political future, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Y), another Trump loyalist, has already launched her gubernatorial campaign and has the support of New York Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox.