Governor Hochul helped build the stadium that kept the Buffalo Bills right where they belong.
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Political ads · 2026 · NY
New York Governor 2026: the ads, and who's paying for them
Kathy Hochul (Democrat) and Bruce Blakeman (Republican) are the candidates for governor of New York in the November 3, 2026 general election. Kathy Hochul is the incumbent. Semblen has analyzed 76 ads in this race; 44 used at least one manipulation technique, most often loaded language and name calling.
Kathy Hochul (DEM, incumbent), Bruce Blakeman (REP). On the ballot as listed by Ballotpedia. 76 ads analyzed, 44 with at least one technique in the copy. Newest first. The paid-for-by line is the advertiser's own filing. Updated 2026-10-08.
Findings
As of 2026-10-08. Counts are of distinct ads; the same text run many times is one ad.
- Ads analyzed
- 76 (Meta 74, YouTube 2) · started running between 2026-09-22 and 2026-10-08
- With at least one technique
- 44 of 76 (58%)
- Most common techniques
- Loaded Language · 31 adsName Calling · 22 adsAppeal to Fear · 18 ads
- Meta
- 42 of 74 (57%) flagged · Loaded Language (31), Name Calling (21), Appeal to Fear (17)
- YouTube
- 2 of 2 flagged · Bandwagon Appeal (2), Appeal to Fear (1), Appeal to Prejudice (1)
- Reported Meta spend
- $333,300–432,067 on all ads, $196,300–251,366 on flagged ads · Meta reports ranges; these are the sums of their ends
- Example
- “High Taxes, Rising Utility Rates” — Loaded Language, paid for by Blakeman for New York · the flagged ad with the highest reported spend that shows the most common technique
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Who is running these ads
Each side is the campaign plus the groups backing it. How a group is placed is explained below the table.
| Side | Ads | With at least one technique | Most common |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hochul (D) | 18 | 7 of 18 (39%) | Loaded Language (6), Name Calling (5), Appeal to Fear (2) |
| All from the campaign; no ads here from groups placed on this side. | |||
| Blakeman (R) | 33 | 20 of 33 (61%) | Loaded Language (12), Glittering Generalities (10), Appeal to Fear (7) |
| All from the campaign; no ads here from groups placed on this side. | |||
| Not placed on a side (15 sponsors) | 25 | 17 of 25 (68%) | Loaded Language (13), Name Calling (11), Appeal to Fear (9) |
Read this before comparing the sides. Ads that attack an opponent use these techniques far more often than ads that introduce a candidate, whoever runs them, so the side running more attack ads shows a higher share. A technique is about wording, not about whether an ad is true. These are online ads only (Meta and YouTube), not television.
By sponsor (18)
| Paid for by | Side | Ads | With at least one technique | Most common |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blakeman for New York | Blakemanthe campaign | 31 | 18 of 31 (58%) | Loaded Language (12), Glittering Generalities (9), Appeal to Fear (6) |
| Friends for Kathy Hochul | Hochulthe campaign | 18 | 7 of 18 (39%) | Loaded Language (6), Name Calling (5), Appeal to Fear (2) |
| Hernandez for New York | — | 5 | 4 of 5 | Glittering Generalities (3), Exaggeration/Hyperbole (2), Loaded Language (2) |
| Matt Ricchiazzi | — | 3 | 1 of 3 | Appeal to Fear (1), Conspiracy Appeal (1), Loaded Language (1) |
| Bruce Blakeman | Blakemanthe campaign | 2 | 2 of 2 | Bandwagon Appeal (2), Appeal to Fear (1), Appeal to Prejudice (1) |
| NEW YORK LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS | — | 2 | 2 of 2 | Appeal to Fear (2), Loaded Language (2), Name Calling (2) |
| New York State Firearms Association | — | 2 | 2 of 2 | Exaggeration/Hyperbole (2), Loaded Language (2), Name Calling (2) |
| NICOLE FOR NEW YORK | — | 2 | 2 of 2 | Appeal to Prejudice (2), Black-and-White Fallacy (2), Loaded Language (2) |
| Strong and Safe New York Inc | — | 2 | 0 of 2 | |
| Broome Republicans | — | 1 | 1 of 1 | Appeal to Fear (1), Loaded Language (1), Name Calling (1) |
| Change.org | — | 1 | 0 of 1 | |
| FRIENDS FOR CONNER DUNLEAVY | — | 1 | 1 of 1 | Conspiracy Appeal (1), Exaggeration/Hyperbole (1), Loaded Language (1) |
| Friends Of Chris Tague 2026 | — | 1 | 1 of 1 | Appeal to Fear (1), Exaggeration/Hyperbole (1), False Urgency (1) |
| Friends of Jake Ashby | — | 1 | 1 of 1 | Appeal to Prejudice (1), Black-and-White Fallacy (1), Card Stacking (1) |
| Friends of Matt Slater | — | 1 | 1 of 1 | Appeal to Fear (1), Appeal to Prejudice (1), Bandwagon Appeal (1) |
| Heather Scribner for NY | — | 1 | 1 of 1 | Appeal to Prejudice (1), Loaded Language (1), Name Calling (1) |
| Humane World for Animals | — | 1 | 0 of 1 | |
| Judge Hickey for Supreme Court | — | 1 | 0 of 1 |
How a group is placed: by its own filings with the Federal Election Commission. A group is with a candidate when it reported spending to support that candidate, or to oppose the other one in the general election. The parties' own committees are with their nominee. Spending against a candidate in a primary places a group nowhere, and neither does our reading of its ads: a group with no such filing is listed as not placed. The sponsor table gives the reason for each.
Decide what counts
Not everyone would call every technique manipulation. Untick the ones you'd call ordinary persuasion and the count updates.
58% of the 76 ads here use at least one of the techniques ticked below (44 ads).
- Words picked for the feeling, not the facts. More on loaded language, with examples →
- A label in place of an argument. More on name calling, with examples →
- Making you afraid so you stop weighing the facts. More on appeal to fear, with examples →
- Feel-good words with no concrete meaning. More on glittering generalities, with examples →
- Playing on dislike of a group. More on appeal to prejudice, with examples →
- Blowing something up past what is true. More on exaggeration/hyperbole, with examples →
- "everyone's doing it" in place of a reason. More on bandwagon appeal, with examples →
- Blaming one group for a complex problem. More on scapegoating, with examples →
- Only two choices when there are more. More on black-and-white fallacy, with examples →
- Pressure to act before you think. More on false urgency, with examples →
- Only the facts that help one side. More on card stacking, with examples →
- Hinting at a hidden plot without evidence. More on conspiracy appeal, with examples →
- A catchy phrase in place of an argument.
Leaving out the softer ones (loaded language, glittering generalities, slogans, exaggeration, repetition): 49% of ads.
The words doing the work
The words that show up most in phrases our model flagged as loaded language or name calling in this race's ads, by number of ads.
- bill in 5 ads · e.g. “skyrocketing utility bills”, “skyrocketing electric bills”
- MAGA in 5 ads · e.g. “MAGA extremism”, “New York MAGA extremism”
- policy in 4 ads · e.g. “pro-criminal policies”, “destructive anti-energy policies”
- criminal in 3 ads · e.g. “Hochul's New York: were criminals roam free”, “criminals roam free”
- hochul' in 3 ads · e.g. “Hochul's New York: were criminals roam free”, “Kathy Hochul's fraud and abuse”
- pro-criminal in 3 ads · e.g. “pro-criminal policies”, “most pro-criminal governor in America”
- worst governor in 3 ads · e.g. “WORST Governor in America”, “the worst Governor in America”
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Money in this race
Candidates for governor report their fundraising to New York's state campaign-finance office, not the FEC. This page doesn't cover those reports yet, so it shows no money figures.
The ads
76 ads, newest first. Video transcripts are shown as the model read them, without caption cues like [music].
Showing the 18 ads paid for by Friends for Kathy Hochul. Show all 76 ads
Kathy Hochul cut middle class taxes and passed universal pre-K because she knows families need the help.
Slogans: Catchy phrase used to compress a complex position into an emotionally loaded shorthand.
Slogans
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Governor Hochul is helping build over 10,000 new homes in the Hudson Valley.
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Follow Kathy Hochul vs. Bruce Blakeman
An email when new ads come in from either side or the outside groups: the techniques, the words doing the work, and who paid. And each debate's analysis the morning after. One-click unsubscribe.
Semblen LLC · 5900 Balcones Drive STE 100, Austin, TX 78731
Governor Hochul is bringing industry leading innovation to Monroe County to support long-term growth.
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Governor Hochul is funding schools and cleaning up drinking water on Long Island.
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Governor Hochul brought Micron and 50,000 new jobs to Central New York.
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Growing up, l worked at a Buffalo pizzeria and helped out my family when I could. Now, I’m lowering costs to help yours.
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Here’s what I’m up against: Bruce Blakeman has launched a whopping $5 million worth of attack ads to flip New York red. So I’m calling on my grassroots supporters to help me fight back. Can I count on you to chip in $10 and be one of the 150 grassroots gifts I need to set the record straight, defeat Blakeman, and protect New York MAGA extremism? I need all hands on deck. >>
Bandwagon Appeal: The appeal to be 'one of the 150 grassroots gifts' frames participation as joining a collective movement, implying social pressure to conform — for example: be one of the 150
Name Calling: The label 'MAGA extremism' is used as a derogatory tag to discredit the opponent rather than address specific policy arguments — for example: MAGA extremism
Loaded Language: The phrase 'MAGA extremism' uses emotionally charged language designed to trigger a negative reaction toward the opponent — for example: MAGA extremism
False Urgency: The phrase 'all hands on deck' creates a sense of emergency and artificial urgency to pressure immediate action without deliberation — for example: all hands on deck
Bandwagon Appeal
Name Calling
Loaded Language
False Urgency
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Please stop what you’re doing and read this: My MAGA opponent is working to bring Trump’s extremist agenda to our state. And Trump’s super PAC has over $400 million to help make it happen. I’m fighting like hell to stop them — but I can’t do this alone. So I’m personally asking: Will you chip in just $5 to help me respond to this cash haul and hand Trump a massive loss? >>
Name Calling: The label 'MAGA' is used as a derogatory political tag to discredit the opponent rather than address their actual positions — for example: MAGA opponent
Loaded Language: The word 'extremist' is emotionally charged and designed to trigger a negative reaction toward the opponent rather than convey factual information — for example: extremist agenda
Name Calling
Loaded Language
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You can be damn sure I’m the leader who will fight for New Yorkers at every turn. ✅ I took Trump to court — and won twice. ✅ I’ve delivered inflation checks to put money back in New Yorkers’ pockets. ✅ I tripled the Child Tax Credit to help families juggling childcare costs. But I’ll be blunt: MAGA allies are intimidated by our incredible fight against Trump’s agenda — which is why they’re raising $50 million to dump into my opponent’s campaign. So will you pitch in $10 to help me hand Donald Trump a crushing defeat and protect all of our progress? >>
Glittering Generalities: The phrase 'fight for New Yorkers at every turn' uses vague, emotionally positive language implying total dedication without specifying any concrete policy or action — for example: 'fight for New Yorkers at every turn'
Appeal to Prejudice: The statement implicitly frames 'New Yorkers' as an in-group deserving special loyalty, positioning the speaker as their exclusive champion — for example: 'I'm the leader who will fight for New Yorkers'
Name Calling: The label 'MAGA allies' is used as a derogatory political tag to discredit opponents rather than address their arguments — for example: MAGA allies
Loaded Language: The word 'dump' is emotionally charged, framing the opponent's fundraising as reckless or corrupt rather than using neutral language like 'invest' or 'spend' — for example: dump into my opponent's campaign
Appeal to Fear: The mention of $50 million being raised against the speaker is designed to create anxiety and urgency in supporters about the scale of opposition — for example: raising $50 million to dump into my opponent's campaign
Glittering Generalities
Appeal to Prejudice
Name Calling
Loaded Language
Appeal to Fear
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Bruce Blakeman said Trump is doing “a great job with the economy” as gas and grocery prices soar.
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Here’s the deal: – Trump’s “100% MAGA” ally Bruce Blakeman is running to flip New York red. – He launched over $5 million worth of attack ads to take me down. – I need your help before midnight to reach my daily fundraising goal and fight back. Please, can you chip in $10 or anything you can to help me hand Donald Trump an embarrassing loss? >>
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Please read. Don’t scroll away. $400 million — that's how much Trump has to prop up his MAGA buddies like Bruce Blakeman. $50 million — that’s how much a MAGA super PAC plans to raise to help Blakeman flip New York red. $5 million — that's how much Blakeman has already spent on attack ads against Governor Hochul. $5 — that's what we’re asking you to chip in before midnight. We know that $5 doesn’t seem like much, but if everyone reading this email pitches in, we’ll prove that MAGA cash is no match for our grassroots movement. So please, will you chip in $5 before midnight to help us fight back? >>
Loaded Language: The word 'buddies' is used dismissively to imply cronyism, and 'MAGA' is used as a derogatory label to trigger a negative emotional reaction — for example: MAGA buddies
Name Calling: Using 'MAGA' as a pejorative label to discredit the individuals mentioned rather than addressing their policies or actions — for example: his MAGA buddies
Bandwagon Appeal: The phrase 'if everyone reading this email pitches in' implies collective mass participation to pressure the reader into conforming — for example: "if everyone reading this email pitches in".
Appeal to Prejudice: The contrast between 'MAGA cash' and 'our grassroots movement' exploits in-group/out-group identity, framing the reader's side as authentic and populist versus a monied opposition — for example: "MAGA cash is no match for our grassroots movement".
Loaded Language
Name Calling
Bandwagon Appeal
Appeal to Prejudice
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Bruce Blakeman thinks spending $5.7 million against me will buy him this Governorship and flip New York red. You know what I say? Hell no. Will you pitch in $10 to make sure Blakeman never gets anywhere near the Governor’s Mansion? >>
Loaded Language: The phrase 'buy him this Governorship' uses transactional, cynical language implying corruption or illegitimacy in the opponent's campaign spending — for example: 'buy him this Governorship'
Loaded Language
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Bruce Blakeman said he would “never be disloyal” to Donald Trump. Even after Trump raised health care costs.
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This content was removed because it didn't follow our Advertising Standards.
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I’ll break down what’s at stake: 1. Top experts reported our campaign is ahead of “100% MAGA” Bruce Blakeman. 2. Trump’s super PAC has over $400 million to help flip New York red. 3. I need your $10 to help defend New York from Republican extremism. I know we’ll win, but I need you by my side to make Trump pay for meddling in our race. >>
Name Calling: The label '100% MAGA' is used as a derogatory tag to discredit Bruce Blakeman rather than address his policy positions — for example: ""100% MAGA" Bruce Blakeman".
Loaded Language: The phrase 'Republican extremism' uses emotionally charged language to characterize political opponents as extreme rather than conveying a factual description — for example: Republican extremism
Appeal to Fear: The framing of 'defend New York' implies a serious threat requiring urgent protective action, creating anxiety to motivate a financial contribution — for example: defend New York from Republican extremism
Name Calling
Loaded Language
Appeal to Fear
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Bruce Blakeman opposes Governor Hochul’s moratorium on new data centers. He’ll raise your electric bills.
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What this page is
- An ad is on this page because its own "Paid for by" line is a campaign in this race; or it ran mostly in NY and names a nominee for governor — unless its sponsor is a campaign for some other office (a U.S. Senate or House campaign included), or it also names NY's Senate nominees, in which case it is on the Senate race's page. Ads from outside groups appear alongside the campaigns' own.
- The candidates are the ones certified for the November ballot, from the source linked at the top. Governors are state offices, so there are no FEC filings behind this page: no money figures, and outside groups are placed on a side only when they are a campaign or a party committee.
- Campaigns run one text as many separate ads. Identical text from the same sponsor is one card here, marked with its number of variants.
- A technique is a specific manipulative move in the wording, found by our model and explained in one line. It is not a claim that the ad is false.
- Claims are checked when a reader asks: press "Check this ad's claims" on a card. The check runs once and its result is shown to everyone afterwards. The ten ads with the most money behind them in each race are checked ahead of time.
- Claim verdicts say what the cited sources say. A verdict that an ad is wrong or misleading is shown only when it cites an established fact-checker or an institutional record — Congress, a federal agency, a court — and its confidence is not low; a weaker one is not shown at all. Each verdict shows what it rests on and how confident it is. If we got one wrong, press Disagree: a verdict that readers dispute and no one defends comes down.
- Video ads come from the campaigns' own YouTube channels; the transcript is analyzed. Meta ads are analyzed on their text; their video and images are not, yet.