GoKawiilJames Dolan's family pours over $100,000 into Bruce Blakeman's NY governor bid
MSG owner James Dolan and his family have donated roughly $108,000 directly to Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County executive who is trailing Governor Kathy Hochul by nine points or more in most polls. Blakeman has proposed expanded surveillance infrastructure, including license plate readers and biometric tracking along the city-suburb border, and supports data centers, AI deepfakes, Flock surveillance, ICE and private militias. Dolan previously donated to Hochul in the last election cycle and has also given significant sums to Trump's 2020 campaign and the RNC.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The donations suggest Dolan is positioning himself as a dominant financial force in New York Republican politics, according to a strategist quoted by the source, regardless of whether Blakeman ultimately wins. Dolan's embrace of a candidate who champions expansive surveillance tools echoes the extensive facial-recognition and security apparatus already used at Madison Square Garden, raising questions about alignment between his business practices and political spending. His shifting allegiance between Hochul and Blakeman also illustrates how major donors can hedge political bets across party lines.
- Dolan family has given about $108,000 directly to Blakeman's campaign.
- Blakeman trails Hochul by nine points or more in current polling.
- Dolan previously backed Hochul and has a history of large GOP donations, including to Trump's 2020 campaign.
Source: wired.com — Noah Shachtman, 2026-10-01
Published there as: “Madison Square Garden’s James Dolan Is Spending Big on New York’s Governor Race”
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