Blakeman Faces Bipartisan Backlash Over Endorsement Tied to 9/11 Conspiracy Claims Ahead of Anniversary

With the 25th anniversary of September 11 looming just days away, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman is under mounting fire after throwing his support behind a congressional hopeful who has publicly called 9/11 an ‘inside job.’ The endorsement, made earlier this week at a campaign event on Long Island, triggered swift and pointed rebukes from prominent New York Democrats.

On Wednesday, U.S. Representatives Jerry Nadler and Nydia Velázquez released a joint statement condemning Blakeman’s alignment, calling it ‘deeply offensive to the memory of those lost and to the families still grieving.’ Their comments echoed through Lower Manhattan, where preparations for Sunday’s commemorative ceremonies are already visible—NYPD barricades and fresh flower deliveries lining the blocks near the memorial site.

The controversy has quickly become a flashpoint in this fall’s governor’s race, with opponents seizing on Blakeman’s ties to figures who have trafficked in conspiracy theories about one of the city’s darkest days. Campaign strategists on both sides say the timing—so close to a milestone anniversary—has supercharged the story’s resonance among voters, especially those with direct connections to the attacks.

Blakeman’s campaign has not walked back the endorsement, instead insisting he ‘disagrees’ with the candidate’s past remarks but stands by the overall ticket. That distinction has done little to slow the criticism, which has spilled onto Thursday morning talk radio and into City Hall, where Mayor Adams called the episode ‘callous and out of touch.’

As New Yorkers brace for a weekend of remembrance, the episode underscores how the legacy of 9/11 remains a raw, defining issue in city politics—even a quarter-century later, and especially in an election season where every word and association is under a microscope.