Actress Debra Messing, long known as a reliable supporter of Democratic candidates, has now thrown her weight behind Republican gubernatorial nominee Bruce Blakeman in New Yorks increasingly contentious governors race.
According to RedState, the Will and Grace star, who once campaigned for Hillary Clinton and donated to left-wing actress Cynthia Nixons 2018 gubernatorial bid, has broken ranks with her partys standard-bearers to back a Trump-supported Republican over incumbent Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul. Messing, who has been sharply critical of President Donald Trump in the past, is now aligning herself with a candidate running squarely against the progressive policies that have dominated New York politics in recent years.
A native New Yorker and NYU alum, Messing has framed her shift as a response to what she sees as the rapid deterioration of her hometown under Democratic leadership. She even appeared in a campaign video and fundraiser with Blakeman, telling him, I am so grateful you are running. You are what we need more than anything.
Messing did not mince words about the state of the city, lamenting, The decline in this city over the last four years has been so exponential and devastating economically, socially and on every level. And obviously, weve lost so much business here. People are leaving. She described New York as the city I love but added, Its not the city I love anymore, a stark indictment of the current political direction.
Looking directly at Blakeman, Messing declared, I believe in all my heart that you are the answer. You are the affordable campaign, candidate. Her emphasis on affordability underscores a growing concern among residents who feel squeezed by high costs and burdensome policies that have become hallmarks of Democratic governance in the state.
People are just really struggling. They need their utilities to be lower, Messing said, highlighting kitchen-table issues that Democrats have largely failed to address while prioritizing ideological agendas. She also referenced the controversial $9 congestion pricing toll to enter Manhattan, a policy widely criticized as another regressive tax on working- and middle-class commuters.
Its just too expensive to live in New York City, and I love the fact that is at the top of your mind, Messing told the Republican candidate, signaling her belief that Blakeman is more in touch with everyday economic realities than the Democratic establishment. Beyond domestic policy, she has also been outspoken in her support for Israel and very against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a far-left figure whose positions have alarmed many moderates and traditional liberals.
Messings move reflects a broader trend of disillusioned Democratic voters drifting toward Republican candidates as progressive policies yield rising crime, higher costs, and urban decline. Similar dynamics are emerging in other states, such as Michigan, where Democrats are reportedly abandoning Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed over his extreme positions and failure to address core voter concerns.
The New York governors race remains an uphill battle for any Republican, but the landscape is shifting. Hochul still leads, yet the contest has tightened to single digits, with recent polling showing Hochul at 50 percent and Blakeman at 41 percent, suggesting growing frustration with the status quo.
Blakeman is centering his campaign on tax relief and affordability, themes that resonate strongly in a state hemorrhaging residents and businesses. Last week, the Nassau County executive pledged that, if elected, he would eliminate income taxes on the first $50,000 for single filers and the first $100,000 for married couples, a bold proposal aimed at working families rather than political insiders.
Under his plan, the average married couple in 45 of New Yorks 62 countieswhere incomes fall below $100,000would see a substantial tax cut, offering a lifeline to rural and small-town communities that feel especially abandoned by Albany. While the left erupted on X over Messings endorsement, Blakeman welcomed the support as proof that practical concerns are trumping partisan loyalty.
Longtime Democratic supporter and actress Debra Messing endorsed me over Kathy Hochul. Party loyalty doesnt pay the utility bill or fight crime. Thank you, Debra. Ill cut taxes, lower utility bills, and make New York safe and affordable. Had enough of Hochul? Join us, he posted, framing his campaign as a refuge for voters who believe New Yorks Democratic leadership has pushed the state to the breaking point.
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