James Dolan Gives Millions to Bruce Blakeman as New York Governor’s Race Heats Up

Bruce Blakeman, the Republican candidate for governor of New York, promised last November to build a wall of spy equipment, license plate readers and biometric surveillance between New York City and its suburbs. Since then, he has received millions of dollars in donations from the family and businesses of Madison Square Garden owner James Dolan.

At Madison Square Garden, a network of cameras captures the faces of nearly every patron entering the arena, while corporate security forces have pursued critics of the company’s leadership.

Dolan’s endorsement of Blakeman, the suburban Nassau County executive, could be viewed as a counterintuitive move in a state that has long been governed by Democrats—especially in a year when political polls are beginning to show signs of a blue wave. Blakeman is nine points or more behind in most polls.

But Blakeman supports data centers, AI deepfake and herd surveillance, as well as ICE, private militias and President Donald Trump. Those positions make him at least somewhat sympathetic to Dolan, the Trump-allied mogul who runs one of the sports world’s most prominent surveillance operations.

Dolan has long been a fickle figure in New York politics. A Politico report noted that he supported Blakeman’s opponent, Governor Kathy Hochul, during the last election. Dolan’s massive campaign spending could benefit him even if his preferred candidate loses.

James Dolan’s Growing Role in New York Republican Politics

Dolan, who has long been influential in sports and entertainment, now has an opportunity to play a prominent role in New York politics.

“Dolan can step into that breakthrough and become the biggest player in the world,” one veteran strategist told WIRED. “In terms of Republican politics, in terms of donations, and I’m sure the Republican people understand that very well.”

James Dolan has been a major political donor in the past, including contributions of nearly $1 million to Donald Trump’s reelection campaign and the Republican National Committee during the 2020 election cycle. But the New York governor’s race represents a different level of spending, according to a review of city, state and federal databases.

How Much Has the Dolan Family Given Bruce Blakeman?

The Dolan family has donated $108,000 directly to Blakeman’s campaign and an additional $970,000 to the local Nassau County Republican Party, making the family Blakeman’s single largest donor.

The Madison Square Garden group also donated another $2 million to a political action committee supporting Blakeman’s campaign. Its super PAC, Strong and Safe New York, Inc., has raised $5.3 million in total. The group’s board includes Madison Square Garden’s head of government relations.

The spending helped offset the governor’s campaign, which reported a nine-to-one cash advantage over its challengers as of the last filing deadline in July.