She’s breaking for Bruce.
A dyed-in-the-wool Democratic donor who previously contributed to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s campaign is raising funds for her Republican gubernatorial opponent Bruce Blakeman, The Post has learned.
Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg, a professional photographer and philanthropist who’s the widow of late New Jersey Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg, plans to hold a fundraiser for Blakeman’s campaign, she confirmed Monday.
“It’s the talk of the Hamptons,” said one Democrat who expressed surprise. “It’s a good get for Bruce.”
The tongue-wagging switcheroo is all the more surprising given that Lautenberg, 79, donated $1,000 to Democratic incumbent Hochul’s re-election campaign in July 2025, records show.
Lautenberg’s Hochul handout was among hundreds of thousands of dollars she has forked over to Democratic causes over the part decade, including to campaigns for Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton, a review of federal filings shows.
The deep-pocketed artist confirmed to The Post that she’s holding a fundraiser for Blakeman – a conservative who counts President Trump as a personal friend – but said little more.
“It’s true,” Lautenberg said.
“Bruce is a longtime friend and neighbor. He’s a great guy.”
She had no further comment.
Blakeman said, “I am honored to have the support of Bonnie Lautenberg in my campaign for governor.”
Lautenberg’s late husband Frank Lautenberg, the last World War II veteran in the Senate and stalwart old-school liberal, died in 2013.
The photographer credited her spouse with teaching the “equivalent of a PhD in political science,” according to a 2019 interview with Hamptons.com.
Her art often champions liberal causes, such as a piece exhibited during a 2022 Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU show that depicted the Statue of Liberty in tears after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Other artwork reflects Lautenberg’s concern for Israel, which she detailed in the Hamptons interview.
“I chose to use the mountain regions of Israel and the glaciers and ice of Antarctica together to demonstrate the surprising similarities between the energy in each environment,” she told the outlet. “Both regions are politically charged between global warming and the ice melt and the politics of Israel surrounded by so many enemies.”
Many Jewish Democrats in New York have been concerned by the rise of Democratic Socialists of America pols such as Mayor Zohran Mamdani who are sharply critical of Israel.
The moderate Dem Hochul endorsed Mamdani during last year’s mayoral race and remains a supportive ally, despite their political differences and behind-the-scenes tensions.
Campaign finance records show Lautenberg donated to far more Democratic candidates than just Hochul, Harris and Clinton in recent years.
She also made donations to campaigns for New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, Long Island Rep. Laura Gillen and Democratic congressional candidate Robert Zimmerman, as well as Democratic Party state committees across the country, records show.
Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki said: “We’re proud that New Yorkers from across all 62 counties, with an average online donation of twenty bucks, are standing with Governor Hochul in her fight to bring down the cost of housing, childcare, car insurance and more, and stop her ‘MAGA all the way’ opponent from letting Donald Trump attack New York, jack up prices, and threaten public safety.”
