FIRST ON FOX: Following a string of high-profile victories by socialist candidates, New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman warned the Democratic Party has veered too far left and predicted establishment Democrats will increasingly back Republicans.
\nSpeaking exclusively to Fox News Digital in the wake of Tuesday\u2019s wins, Blakeman said the results underscored the growing influence of the party\u2019s progressive wing and exposed a widening divide within the Democratic coalition.
\n\u201cThe lunatic left has taken over the Democratic Party,\u201d he said just hours after three socialists backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani won their primaries in New York districts. \u201cThey\u2019ve lost control of their party.\u201d
\nThe rise of socialist victories against traditional Democrats have intensified debate over the Party\u2019s future and the growing influence of its far-left flank. Republicans have seized on those wins as evidence the party is moving away from moderate voters on issues such as taxes and public safety.
\nMAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST CANDIDATE STORMS OUT OF LIVE INTERVIEW WHEN CONFRONTED WITH OLD SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS<\/p>\n
Blakeman, who is running to unseat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, argued that socialists have effectively taken control of the Democratic Party, creating an opening for Republicans among moderate and working-class voters in the state.
\n\u201cThey\u2019ve offered everybody free stuff,\u201d Blakeman told Fox News Digital, adding that progressive candidates are making unrealistic promises to voters. \u201cThey\u2019re never going to do what they say they\u2019re going to,\u201d he continued, warning that such proposals would ultimately prove impossible to deliver.
\nHe argued voters are being sold an unrealistic vision in which \u201ceverything in New York could be free,\u201d while longtime Democrats increasingly feel disconnected from the party\u2019s recent direction.
\n\u201cThe traditional Democrats are going to vote for Republicans this year,\u201d Blakeman predicted. \u201cThey know their party has gone off the deep end.\u201d
\nThe Republican hopeful pointed to Mamdani\u2019s meteoric rise as evidence of what he described as the growing influence of socialists within the party. Blakeman acknowledges that proposals such as government-run grocery stores and other publicly funded programs may be politically popular but claims they would ultimately fail to deliver on their promises.
\n\u201cFree grocery stores, I mean, that\u2019s complete nonsense,\u201d Blakeman said. \u201cGovernment should not be competing with the private sector.\u201d
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Blakeman said many of the policies being championed by progressive candidates could harm small businesses and accelerate the outflow of residents and employers from New York. Instead, he argued, the state should focus on lowering taxes, reducing utility costs and creating a more business-friendly environment.
\nDuring his interview with Fox News Digital the night after sweeping socialist victories in New York, Blakeman accused Hochul of being just as radical and failing to stand up to the Democratic Party\u2019s left flank as progressive figures like Mamdani gain prominence.
\n\u201cThey\u2019re in league together,\u201d Blakeman said of Hochul and Mamdani. \u201cI now call her Comrade Kathy.\u201d
\nThough he ran uncontested, Blakeman\u2019s campaign received a boost earlier this year when he secured President Donald Trump\u2019s endorsement as he seeks to unseat Hochul in deep blue New York, the president\u2019s longtime home state.
\nAsked about Trump\u2019s support, Blakeman said it\u2019s valuable but urged voters to focus on shared concerns such as affordability, public safety and lowering taxes.<\/p>\n
Blakeman argued that the Democratic Party\u2019s growing embrace of socialist candidates could ultimately benefit Republicans, particularly among suburban and working-class voters who he believes feel increasingly disconnected from the party\u2019s priorities.
\n\u201cTraditional Democrats see their party going off the deep end. They don\u2019t like it,\u201d Blakeman said. \u201cThey\u2019re going to come on board with us because it\u2019s the only way to stop their party from becoming an extinct party.\u201d
\nMamdani\u2019s office and Hochul\u2019s office did not respond to Fox News Digital\u2019s requests for comment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"