Bruce Blakeman to appear at event with Long Island Loud Majority leader Kevin Smith

Gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman is set to appear Thursday at an upstate fundraiser alongside the leader of a right-wing political activist group called Long Island Loud Majority.

Blakeman, the Nassau County executive who is challenging Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, is slated to be the "Special V.I.P. Guest" at an event planned by the Saratoga County Republican Committee, along with other candidates at a local golf course.

The Saratoga GOP, in a separate Facebook notice, adds "Kevin Smith of Loud Majority U.S. will be delivering a monologue" at the fundraiser.

Long Island Loud Majority, the original name of the group, has been listed as an extreme anti-government group by the nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors suspected hate groups. Smith has said Long Island Loud Majority is not antigovernment.

Newsday previously reported he has criticized diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and mask mandates in the past. Smith recently was hired by the Smithtown Town Board as a part-time public relations assistant, despite local protests and a petition drive calling on the board to fire him.

Democrats blasted Blakeman for what they called campaigning with the founder of a far-right MAGA fringe group.

"Instead of focusing on the issues that New Yorkers care about, Blakeman only cares about palling around with extremists — exactly why Donald Trump calls him ‘MAGA all the way,’" Democratic spokesman Addison Dick said.

While Smith was in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, amid the Capitol insurrection bid, his lawyer previously told Newsday that Smith and Loud Majority "were not present at the Capitol at the time of the alleged insurrection riots and public disturbances."

Blakeman's campaign didn't respond directly to questions about the event.

By Yancey Roy

yancey.roy@newsday.com@yanceyroy