Bruce Blakeman's inauguration ceremony

Blakeman offers cryptic closing at swearing-in ceremony

Closing his speech, Blakeman, who is running for governor, offered a cryptic remark about his future. 

“I'm on a journey. I don't know where that path will end…” Blakeman started to close his remarks on Monday.

“Albany!” WABC radio personality Sid Rosenberg shouted as the audience laughed and cheered.

“Right on cue, Sid,” Blakeman replied.

At swearing-in ceremony, Blakeman signs law limiting protests outside houses of worship

Blakeman's first move after leaving the stage was signing into law Nassau's 'Religious Safety Act,' which limits protests outside houses of worship. The bill proposal came amid a high-profile protest outside a synagogue in Manhattan's Upper East Side in November last year. 

Blakeman touts actions that define his first term in office

In remarks, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman kicked off a series of actions that have defined his first term in office. That included a ban of transgender female athletes playing in female sports and banning masks in public for non-medical reasons. He also touted a partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

He also said that the county is also a place of tolerance. His remarks were short, leaving open his political ambitions. 

Blakeman says he spoke with Trump hour before swearing-in

Blakeman, in remarks shortly after taking the oath of office, said he received a call from President Donald Trump, who was in the White House, about an hour before Blakeman was sworn in.

His brother Brad, formerly a senior White House adviser to former President George W. Bush., was in White House with Trump, he said, describing the meeting as the reason Brad could not attend Monday's ceremony.

Blakeman has been a staunch ally of Trump, having hosted Trump at a campaign rally in Nassau County n September 2024. 

Blakeman takes oath of office before supporters and family

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman took the oath of office for a second term as administered by his wife. 

Blakeman was sworn in just before 6:40 p.m., holding his granddaughter.

After swearing him in, his wife grabbed the mic, “Everyone, I will be doing this next year when he wins governor!”

Nassau GOP boss uses Blakeman's swearing-in ceremony to tout gubernatorial bid

Just after 6:30 p.m. GOP Chairman Joe Cairo took the stage.

"There's Yogi, there's Madonna, there's Elvis, and there's Sid," Cairo said, shouting out the WABC radio host who was seated on stage behind Nassau Legis. Howard Kopel (R-Lawrence).

"We need Bruce from Valley Stream to go up to Albany and straighten this thing out," he shouted, as the crowd stood up and cheered.

Rabbi prays Blakeman reaches higher political office at swearing-in ceremony

"I'm not doing this again in Nassau County," said Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky, who led a prayer for Blakeman.

"Not because I don't cherish the opportunity, but because, with God's help, next time we'll offer Bruce a blessing a little further north of here in Albany."

This was the first nod to Blakeman's bid for state office, which he floated less than 48 hours after being re-elected as county executive, sparking applause from the crowd.

Swearing-in ceremony gets underway with opening from songstress

Singer Mary Millben performed the National Anthem just before 6:00p.m.

“I have to really love you to leave the warmth of Palm Beach,” she said while greeting Blakeman on stage. “I won’t even go to D.C. for the president!”

Christopher Macchio, an opera singer and Long Island native, is expected to end the ceremonies with a performance.  

Along with Blakeman, Nassau's comptroller and county clerk are taking oaths

Along with Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County Clerk Maureen O'Connell and Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips will also be on hand to take the oath of office. O'Connell is starting her sixth term in office while Phillips is entering her second. 

Already on the stage is Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joseph Cairo, former Congressman from Seaford Peter King, former county legislator and newly elected Town of Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti, Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jen DeSena, Senior Town of Hempstead Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, and Republican Majority Leader Legis. Howard Kopel of Lawrence. Notably absent from the festivities is former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato. Also, the entire Democratic caucus of the Nassau County Legislature did not attend.

An overflow crowd occupies the second and third floors of the Cradle of Aviation Museum wear hundreds of county employees and local Republicans stand under a replica of a U.S. Navy fighter jet that hangs in the glass atrium.

On same day as Blakeman swearing-in, Howard Kopel began second term leading legislature

Legis. Howard J. Kopel (R-Lawrence) kicked off his second term as presiding officer of the 19-member Nassau County Legislature on Monday, entering his ninth term.

Kopel, 74, first took office in 2010 and was reelected in November. As head of the legislative branch of the county, Kopel leads meetings, including managing public comment, controls the calendar and calls for votes.

"We will continue to protect taxpayers, keep our communities safe, and govern with integrity," Kopel wrote in a statement to Newsday on Monday.

Read the full story here.

Blakeman allies appear in person and on a TV monitor

Among the crowd was former Rep. Peter King, an ally of Blakeman, who he hired as a counterterrorism advisor.Just after 5 p.m. two monitors began playing a photo-video montage of Blakeman posing with various allies, including a photo of him beside former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, radio host Sid Rosenberg and GOP Chairman Joe Cairo.

Blakeman's wife will deliver oath of office

Blakeman's oath of office is expected to be administered by his wife, Segal, a Nassau County judge. Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino will give the welcome address and closing remarks, according to the event program.

Blakeman set to take the stage at Cradle of Aviation for swearing-in ceremony

Four police horses, a row of men in kilts, a BearCat, and a Sedan-sized American flag surrounded the Cradle of Aviation in Garden City just under an hour before Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman was set to be sworn in for his second term. His swearing-in ceremony comes as Blakeman is mounting a run for governor, looking to unseat Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul. It also comes a day before Hochul is set to deliver her State of the State address, to which Blakeman will offer a rebuttal. 

Almost every Nassau police unit was represented at the event, with a helicopter and armored rescue vehicle in the parking lot, with about 50 or so people trickling in and taking their seats by 4:45 p.m.  Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder greeted a K-9 dog before making his way inside.

Blakeman is expected to deliver his address at 5:30 p.m. NewsdayTV will carry it live. 

Bruce Blakeman to be sworn-in Monday evening

More than 900 people have indicated they would attend the event to be held at the county-owned Cradle of Aviation Museum, according to Blakeman spokesman Chris Boyle. Blakeman's swearing-in comes one day before Gov. Kathy Hochul is to deliver her State of the State address on Tuesday. Republican leaders from across Long Island as well as some from elsewhere in the state have said they would attend, Boyle said.

Read more here.