Hollywood Defection Stuns Democrats

Hand casting ballot between Republican elephant and Democratic donkey — Photo: Peeradach R / Shutterstock

A lifelong Hollywood liberal just told New York Democrats the quiet part out loud: Kathy Hochul has wrecked the state, and even she can’t defend it anymore.

Quick Take

Actress Debra Messing, a longtime Democratic donor and fierce Trump critic, publicly endorsed Republican Bruce Blakeman for New York governor.
Messing made the announcement at a Manhattan fundraiser, telling Blakeman he is “the answer” and “the affordable campaign, candidate.”
Messing cited New York’s rising cost of living, high utility bills, and Manhattan’s congestion toll as reasons for abandoning Governor Kathy Hochul.
President Trump is set to campaign with Blakeman in upstate New York, adding momentum to the GOP challenge.

Will & Grace Star Breaks With Her Own Party

Debra Messing, best known for playing Grace Adler on NBC’s “Will & Grace,” has spent years as one of Hollywood’s loudest anti-Trump voices. She campaigned for Hillary Clinton and backed progressive primary challengers in past New York races. Now she’s standing next to a Republican, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, and telling him he’s exactly what New York needs.

The endorsement happened at a Manhattan fundraiser hosted by dietician Tanya Zuckerbrot. Messing told Blakeman directly, “I am so grateful you are running. You are what we need more than anything.” She added, “I believe in all my heart that you are the answer. You are the affordable campaign, candidate”.

Cost Of Living Drives A Democrat To Cross The Aisle

Messing didn’t mince words about why she’s done with Hochul. She pointed to New York City’s decline over the past four years, saying businesses are fleeing and residents are struggling just to get by. She also brought up sky-high utility costs and the $9 congestion toll drivers now pay to enter Manhattan, telling the room the city she once loved isn’t the same place anymore.

Messing isn’t the only Democratic insider jumping ship. Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg, a Democratic donor who once gave to Hochul’s campaign, has been raising money for Blakeman since August. That’s two prominent Democrats in one election cycle publicly admitting the governor they helped elect has failed on affordability, the single issue every New York family feels at the grocery store and gas pump.

A Governor’s Race Trump Is Watching Closely

President Trump plans to campaign with Blakeman in upstate New York, a sign the national GOP sees a real opening in deep-blue territory. Blakeman has built his campaign almost entirely around affordability, promising to cut utility costs and ease the financial squeeze Hochul’s policies have put on working families. A Democrat-turned-Blakeman-backer handing him that message is a gift no campaign consultant could script.

Research on celebrity endorsements shows they rarely swing elections by themselves. Studies find they mostly energize voters who already lean a certain way, rather than changing minds outright. But Messing’s defection isn’t just a celebrity cheering for a candidate. It’s a Democrat admitting her own party’s governance has made New York unaffordable, and that kind of confession carries weight no campaign ad can buy.

Hollywood Admission Hits Different Than A Typical Endorsement

Social media reaction has been blunt, with one user noting “you know you’re a loser when a Hollywoodite endorses your opponent,” while adding Messing is “right…this time” about New York’s decline. Others pointed out Messing campaigned for Hillary Clinton and Cynthia Nixon in past cycles, making her pivot to a Republican all the more striking to longtime observers of New York politics.

Exclusive | Star Dem-backer Debra Messing endorses GOP's Bruce Blakeman for NY governor: 'What we need' https://t.co/PGwGMefmWC

— Al Cibelli (@MostoyzwinAl) October 5, 2026

For conservatives who’ve watched New York bleed residents and businesses under Albany’s tax-and-spend policies, Messing’s words confirm what they’ve argued for years. High utility costs, punishing tolls, and a shrinking business base aren’t abstract talking points. They’re driving even dedicated Democrats to admit the current leadership has failed, and that the affordability message resonates far beyond the usual Republican base.