Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for New York governor, created an AI-generated video of himself alongside Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul engaging in mundane activities. The video is part of Blakeman's campaign criticism of his opponents' policies on affordability. Blakeman posted the video on Tuesday with a statement accusing Hochul and Mamdani of causing New York's cost-of-living crisis, while also promoting his own plan to cut taxes and utility bills. The New York State Democratic Party has filed a complaint against Blakeman over the use of AI in campaign materials, citing state election law requiring disclosure of such content as "materially deceptive".
Written by the local model on 2026-09-03,
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Story summary
Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for New York governor, posted an AI-generated video on Tuesday depicting Kathy Hochul, the current New York governor, and Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York City, engaging in leisure activities like gardening and biking together. The video was accompanied by a post in which Blakeman criticized Hochul's policies, citing 48 utility rate hikes, higher taxes, and uncontrollable government spending as evidence that she is not effectively addressing the state's cost-of-living crisis. Blakeman then laid out his own plan to address these issues, including cutting $50,000 of state income tax for single filers and $100,000 for joint filers, reducing utility bills by half, and ending government waste. In response, the New York State Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Board of Elections, accusing Blakeman of violating state election law by failing to label the AI-generated content as such.
Written for “AI-Generated Campaign Ad Scandal” on 2026-09-03,
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Leaning score +0.85 for article 3573 (high confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-09-03
Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for New York governor, posted an AI-generated video imagining New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul hanging out, bizarrely gardening together, riding bikes, and vaguely colluding about making the state unaffordable.
asserted
state → post → bikes
".@KathyHochul and @ZohranKMamdani think they can cure New York’s cost-of-living crisis with excuses, empty promises, and 'delusion pills.'
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they → think → excuses
The real side effects of their policies aren't a joke: 48 utility rate hikes, higher taxes, uncontrollable government spending, and businesses fleeing our state every single day," Blakeman wrote in the post on Tuesday.
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Blakeman → flee → Tuesday
"I have a different plan for New York.
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I → have → York
As Governor, I will deliver zero state income tax on your first $50,000, $100,000 for joint filers, cut your utility bills in half, and end the government waste."
ABC News10 reported that the New York State Democratic Party filed a complaint asking the Board of Elections to investigate Blakeman's use of AI in political communication materials, claiming that he's violating the state's election law that requires "materially deceptive" content to be labeled as AI-generated.
asserted
content → deliver → law
The law states: "A person, firm, association, corporation, campaign, committee, or organization that distributes or publishes any political communication that was produced by or includes materially deceptive media and has actual knowledge that it is materially deceptive shall be required to disclose this use."
asserted
it → state → use
The law requires a disclosure displayed directly on the media in an easily readable font saying, "This (image, video, or audio) has been manipulated."
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This → require → font
The law carves out exceptions for "satire or parody."
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law → carve → satire
Blakeman seems to be invoking that clause, and told News10 that he thinks people like it.
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people → seem → it
“People find it humorous.
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it → find → ?
They like satire,” he said.
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he → like → satire
“We’ve been using humor and satire in politics since the inception of our nation 250 years ago.”
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We → use → nation
In January, Hochul said she'd move to ban AI generated depictions of candidates in political ads within 90 days of an election.
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she → say → election
In 2025, disgraced New York governor and then-mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo's official campaign account posted an AI-generated video that showed a barrage of racist, Islamophobic stereotypes, including of his then-opponent for mayor, Mamdani.
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that → post → mayor
That video was labeled as AI.
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video → label → AI
About Blakeman's AI video, Hochul’s campaign told News 10 in a statement: “While Blakeman’s resorted to straight up lying to New Yorkers, Team Hochul doesn’t need AI ads to tell them about him jacking up property taxes on Long Islanders more than once, letting violent crime hit decade highs on his watch, or running an armed MAGA militia that undercuts local cops – he did all that in real life.”
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he → tell → life
If elected, Blakeman says he'll end New York's status as a sanctuary state and increase the state's collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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he → elect → Immigration
In 2024, as Nassau County Executive, Blakeman signed a bill, which he wrote, into law that banned transgender athletes from playing in women and girls' sports at county-owned athletic facilities.
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that → sign → facilities
In 2025, courts halted that law in response to the New York Civil Liberties Union's legal challenge calling it a violation of antidiscrimination laws.
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courts → halt → laws
