NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) -- Governor Kathy Hochul stood by her decision to enlist state Attorney General Letitia James in an investigation of sexual-assault allegations at Cornell University in her first and only gubernatorial debate ahead of the November election.
Hochul defended her response to the case during a televised debate Tuesday with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, with the Republican challenger accusing her of failing to act sooner despite serving as governor and an ex-officio trustee of Cornell.
Hochul said she intervened and appointed James as a special prosecutor after losing confidence in the local district attorney’s handling of the matter. She added that the university had “failed that young woman” in a heated exchange in which Blakeman accused her of prejudging the allegations.
“There should not be a culture that allows for a young woman to be so brutally attacked at a fraternity,” she said.
Last month, a former Cornell student alleged she was drugged and gang raped by fraternity members, drawing nationwide scrutiny over how Cornell and local authorities handled the case and why an earlier probe into the matter didn’t result in criminal charges. Cornell has since commissioned an outside review.
President Donald Trump weighed in before the debate, calling for James to be removed from the investigation. “Any decision will be appealed by her mere presence on this case,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The stench of Letitia James will greatly add to the anguish that everybody feels in viewing how this case is being handled. The Governor should take James off this case, IMMEDIATELY.”
A representative for James declined to comment on the post by Trump.
The debate between Hochul and Blakeman also covered crime, rising utility costs, immigration enforcement, US-Canada tariffs and the AI boom, with Hochul repeatedly tying Blakeman to Trump.
Polls have consistently shown Hochul leading Blakeman in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1. But the race has narrowed in recent months, with an October Marist Poll finding Hochul leading Blakeman 53% to 42%.
Blakeman, 71, has repeatedly attacked Hochul on taxes, utility costs and the state’s business climate, pledging to cut income taxes and lower utility bills if he’s elected.
It has been nearly a quarter-century since a Republican last won statewide office in New York — when former Republican Governor George Pataki won a third term in office in 2002.
Trump endorsed Blakeman in December 2025 and appeared with him at a rally in Syracuse last week, their second joint appearance in recent months.
Trump, though, is unpopular with many New York voters. An Emerson College/PIX11 poll conducted earlier this month found 57% of likely New York state voters disapprove of Donald Trump’s performance, while just 35% approve.
And a September Siena poll found 51% of likely New York voters said Trump’s endorsement hurts Blakeman’s electoral chances, compared to 30% who said the president’s backing would help him.
Hochul, 68, is seeking reelection to a second term after winning her first full term in 2022 against former Republican Long Island Representative Lee Zeldin, who Donald Trump named Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in 2025.
Hochul, who served as New York’s lieutenant governor under former governor Andrew Cuomo, took office as the state’s first female governor in August 2021, after Cuomo resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment.
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