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Debra Messing has had enough with the state of New York.
The “Will & Grace” actress snubbed Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul and instead threw her support behind Republican Bruce Blakeman in the New York governor’s race.
The endorsement marked a striking political shift for Messing, who has campaigned for Democratic candidates in the past. She previously backed Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Cynthia Nixon’s 2018 bid for New York governor.
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Debra Messing has endorsed the Republican nominee for the New York governor’s race.
Messing has also publicly clashed with President Donald Trump, a supporter of Blakeman.
Her past political allegiances appeared to take a back seat as Messing enthusiastically praised Blakeman’s campaign for governor.
“Oh gosh, I am so grateful that you are running,” she told Blakeman in a video shared on Instagram. “You are what we need more than anything.”
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Debra Messing, Sen. Bob Casey, Katy Perry and Hillary Clinton greet supporters during a get-out-the-vote concert at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia on Nov. 5, 2016. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
“The decline in this city over the last four years has been so exponential and devastating economically, socially on every level and obviously we’ve lost so much business here. People are leaving the city.”
Digital reached out to Messing’s representative for comment.
The “Wedding Date” star, a New York native, said her support for Blakeman was rooted in concerns about the direction of the city and the financial pressures facing residents.
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Debra Messing attended a Get Out the Vote canvass launch to encourage voters to cast their ballots for the Biden-Harris ticket and Democrats down-ballot at the Voter Activation Center on Oct. 31, 2020. (Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images)
“I was born here. This is the city I love and it’s not the city that I love anymore and I believe with all my heart that you are the answer,” she added.
“You are the affordable candidate and I think more than anything people are just really struggling and they need their utilities to be lower and they don’t want to have to pay to have congestion and the driving.”
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Bruce Blakeman is running to unseat Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and has secured President Donald Trump’s endorsement. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Messing said affordability was at the heart of her concerns, pointing to the growing financial burden she believes New Yorkers are being forced to shoulder.
“It’s just too expensive to live in New York City and I love the fact that that is the top of your mind,” she added.
Blakeman currently serves as Nassau County executive and is the Republican nominee for governor of New York in the 2026 election. He has challenged Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in the race, with affordability, taxes, crime and immigration at the center of his campaign.
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