Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman criticized Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration for what he described as excessive spending by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), particularly highlighting rising overtime costs. Speaking at a press conference at Penn Station on Wednesday, Blakeman, Nassau County executive, placed responsibility for the MTA’s projected budget shortfalls on Hochul and MTA Chairman Janno Lieber’s management.

Blakeman pointed to forecasted MTA budget deficits of $295 million in 2027 and $507 million in 2028 as evidence of fiscal mismanagement, asserting that the agency faces a spending problem rather than a revenue issue. His remarks came shortly after a report indicated that MTA overtime spending this year is on track to surpass the 2025 record of nearly $1.5 billion. According to the report, close to 1,000 MTA employees earned more in overtime than their base salaries in 2025, with average LIRR base salaries around $136,000 annually.

Despite his criticism of MTA spending, Blakeman expressed solidarity with the agency’s labor unions, including those representing Long Island Rail Road workers who staged a strike in May. The unions rejected a 4.5% pay increase offer, which was contingent on ending strike actions. Blakeman emphasized his support for the workers, referring to them as “hardworking people.”

In response, Ryan Radulovacki, a spokesperson for Governor Hochul’s campaign, accused Blakeman of supporting efforts by former President Donald Trump to withhold federal funding from New York’s transit projects. Radulovacki suggested that Blakeman aligned himself with Trump’s agenda, which she described as detrimental to the state’s transportation improvements.

Meanwhile, a poll commissioned by a pro-Blakeman super PAC showed the Republican contender narrowing the gap with Hochul, trailing by four percentage points. However, other surveys continue to show larger leads for the incumbent governor as the race for New York’s governorship progresses.