How Trump's call to Blakeman happened

Daily Point

Blakeman brother's high profile huddle

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman mentioned during his inaugural address Monday at the Cradle of Aviation that his brother, conservative commentator Brad Blakeman, “told me he couldn’t make it here because he had a meeting with the president. I didn’t believe him, so he had the president call to congratulate me.”

Shortly before the swearing-in, President Donald Trump indeed called from the Oval Office to congratulate him, the candidate for governor said. Nobody at the ceremony announced what that was all about or what the county exec’s sibling Brad was doing at the White House. On Wednesday, The Point reached the Virginia resident, a 68-year-old former aide to President George W. Bush and subsequent lobbyist.

He said he was present as a board member of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, at a meeting that Trump requested, to “find out what our plans are” for the 25th memorial anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center later this year.

Blakeman attended with the foundation’s chairman and CEO Frank Siller who founded the nonprofit in memory of his brother, Stephen Siller, who was among 343 FDNY firefighters lost that day, including 12 from his highly specialized unit, Squad 1. Also at the meeting were Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins (a former congressman, Air Force chaplain and legal counsel) and Frank Siller’s chief of staff, Samantha Vezga.

Tunnel to Towers provides mortgage-free homes to families of fallen first responders and Gold Star families. Its motto and logo say, “Never Forget 9/11.” The organization’s name stems from the fact that Stephen Siller ran nearly two miles through the closed Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel that day to get to Ground Zero.

Naturally, the quarter-century ceremony will not be without political optics. Symbolically important, it’s a palpably patriotic occasion. This year it will be held seven weeks before an election in which Bruce Blakeman challenges Gov. Kathy Hochul and key congressional seats are up for grabs. For candidates, attendance is a must, and their appearances are cost-free and risk-free.

It’s been much noted on Long Island that Brad and Bruce Blakeman lost a nephew, Tommy Jurgens — a 26-year-old court officer, volunteer firefighter and son of their sister Linda — on 9/11 after he went to the scene to help rescuers.

Brad Blakeman told The Point of Monday’s Oval Office discussion: “The president insisted on calling Bruce during that meeting. It was kind of neat.”

— Dan Janison dan.janison@newsday.com

Pencil Point

Uh-oh

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Pointing Out

Suffolk comptroller race already drawing big dollars

As the 2026 election cycle begins to take shape, early fundraising numbers for some candidates are impressive. The deadline for the filings is Thursday, Jan. 15, so not every candidate had filed yet as The Point was digging through the numbers.

That includes Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and the presumptive Republican candidate, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. Neither filed Jan. 15 reports as of 3 p.m. with the New York State Board of Elections. Political insiders are eager to see how Blakeman, renowned for his ability to raise money, did in his first fundraising cycle as a gubernatorial candidate.

But some candidates for other offices who did file posted big numbers.

In Suffolk, with the race for county comptroller wide open because current Comptroller John Kennedy Jr. is term-limited, several names have cropped up as contenders on the Republican side, including Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter, former Suffolk Legislature Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey, Islip Receiver of Taxes Andy Wittman, Legis. Steve Flotteron and Assemb. Keith Brown.

Carpenter raised the most, according to January filings, amassing $107,670.23 for a balance of $610,853.39. Wittman raised $102,287.86 and has a balance of $109,012.58. McCaffrey didn’t post a January report yet, but according to his November filing, his campaign had $38,182.05. Flotteron listed just $35 raised in his January filing but has $31,755.74 cash on hand. And Brown’s most recent filing, from July, notes a balance of $4,385.33.

Wittman previously told The Point that “the comptroller position fits mostly within my wheelhouse,” while Carpenter said “it’s very exciting to think about” running for either comptroller or the State Senate.

Raking in a pile of cash according to January filings was State Sen. Mario Mattera (R-St. James) with $141,350 raised and a balance of $308,011.71. State Sen. Jack Martins (R-Old Westbury) reported no contributions but a balance of $75,481.58. His presumptive Democratic opponent, Rory Lancman, raised $154,079.75.

Every Assembly and State Senate seat is up in November. A host of local Long Island seats will be up in 2026 after the state changed to even-year voting. In Nassau, that means legislators who just ran in November will have to campaign again this year. A proposition extending legislators' terms from two years to four passed in Suffolk, so its legislators won’t be on the ballot in '26.

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