Kathy Hochul Blasts GOP Rival Bruce Blakeman’s ‘Hijab Hochul’ Attack as ‘Reprehensible’

Breaking

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Republican gubernatorial challenger Bruce Blakeman are locked in an escalating public feud after the Nassau County executive mocked a photo of Hochul covering her head during a visit to the Islamic Cultural Center on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Blakeman posted the image with the caption “Hijab Hochul. Kathy’s Latest Costume: Whatever the Audience Wants,” accusing the governor of political pandering.

Hochul responded directly, calling the attack “reprehensible” and defending her decision to cover her head as a matter of basic respect for the space she was visiting. “I was invited as a guest, and I always wear the appropriate attire, whether I am going to a temple, whether I am going to an Orthodox community or whether I am going to a Catholic church in the Vatican,” she said. “If he has a problem with that, that says more about him than it does anybody else.”

Details & Background

The visit took place on a Friday at the Islamic Cultural Center, and the resulting controversy landed less than two weeks before the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks — timing Blakeman explicitly cited in framing Hochul’s gesture as “tone-deaf” political theater. Hochul’s office pushed back on the idea that this was new or unusual behavior, noting she has worn a head covering on prior occasions, including a 2022 mosque visit and the funeral of a New York City police officer.

This is not the first time a Hochul head-covering photo has drawn conservative criticism. Last year, a similar image of Hochul covering her head at the funeral of slain NYPD Officer Didarul Islam circulated online, prompting Sen. Ted Cruz to retweet a post questioning why the governor was wearing “a hijab,” adding his own two-word reaction: “Um, wut?” The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on Cruz at the time to apologize to both Officer Islam’s family and to Hochul, a request Cruz never publicly answered.

Reactions

Blakeman escalated the dispute in a follow-up interview, arguing that wearing a hijab is inconsistent with feminist principles — a framing Hochul rejected outright. “I just love it when men lecture women on whether or not they are a feminist,” she said. Blakeman entered the governor’s race after Rep. Elise Stefanik dropped her own bid last November, clearing the way for President Trump to endorse Blakeman in the Republican primary.

The exchange also drew criticism from outside the campaign. Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, condemned Blakeman’s post, saying, “There are far too many political leaders exploiting the 9/11 anniversary to (re)normalize Islamophobia — and it’s disgusting.” Blakeman’s campaign has not softened its position, maintaining that the governor’s outreach amounts to calculated political theater rather than genuine engagement, and has continued to press the “pandering” framing in interviews since.

Why This Matters to You

This fight is playing out in the marquee race for governor of the fourth-most-populous state in the country, and it’s a preview of how both parties intend to fight the culture-war battles that will define the 2026 midterms. How each candidate handles questions of religion, respect, and political correctness will shape how voters — Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and secular alike — see themselves reflected in New York’s next governor, and both campaigns clearly see an opening to define the other heading into next year’s general election.

Beyond the optics, the episode is a reminder that symbolic gestures by public officials get scrutinized from every direction, and that voters should look past the social-media theater to the substantive question underneath: does either candidate have a credible plan for the issues New Yorkers actually rank as priorities — crime, cost of living, and immigration — rather than just a talent for winning a news cycle? That’s the test both Hochul and Blakeman will ultimately be judged on next November, long after this particular exchange is forgotten.