Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman courted deep-pocketed donors in the Hamptons Saturday with his pledge to eliminate Gov. Kathy Hochul’s and Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s planned tax on luxury second homes.
The Nassau County executive rubbed elbows with more than 80 CEOs, philanthropists and other power brokers who gathered for the latest nonpartisan business breakfast hosted by billionaire supermarket and media mogul John Catsimatidis at hotspot 75 Main in Southampton.
Blakeman addressed the packed crowd of New York’s elite for about 20 minutes, doubling down on many of his previous campaign pledges, including ending New York’s status as a “sanctuary state” for illegal migrants, lowering utility bills and pardoning ex-NYPD Sgt. Erik Duran after his manslaughter conviction for fatally flinging a cooler at a fleeing drug suspect, guests at the event told The Post.
However, he scored his biggest cheers by promising to spike Hochul and Mamdani’s controversial “pied-à-terre tax,” which would apply to second NYC homes for non-residents who own condos and co-ops assessed over $1 million and one- to three-family homes assessed at over $5 million.
“Everybody out there in the Hamptons has a second house, so they’re trying to figure out how it’s going to affect them,” Catsimatidis told The Post.
“A lot of people love New York and don’t want to move out of New York, but they want common sense to prevail.”
The billionaire also said Blakeman scored points by promising to block Mamdani’s push to dramatically increase New York’s inheritance tax — a move that would also hit the middle class.
“You don’t want to work hard all your life and give all your money to the state versus giving it to your kids,” he said.
The standing-room-only crowd included Cushman & Wakefield honcho Bruce Mosler, Suffolk County Conservative Party Chairman Michael Torres, power publicist Todd Shapiro, ex-New York Stock Exchange board member Linda Wachner, philanthropist and Sears Roebuck heiress Nina Rosenthal of Gatestone and ex-Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Richard Weinberg.
Blakeman’s appearance energized donors and political operatives already preparing for the 2026 governor’s race, according to sources who attended.
“One insider in the room predicted Bruce Blakeman could raise over $5 million from roughly a dozen fundraisers now being discussed by people attending this breakfast alone,” said a source.
Catsimatidis has a long history of drawing top Democratic and Republican elected officials and candidates to his power breakfasts, with past guests including Hochul, ex-NYC Mayor Eric Adams and ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Hochul is expected to be guest at a breakfast in August, said Catsimatidis.
