Democratic lieutenant governor nominee Adrienne Adams, U.S. Rep. Tim Kennedy and Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan are scheduled to join a campaign canvass launch Saturday in Amherst targeting Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman.
The noon event is part of “The Cost of Bruce Blakeman,” a statewide tour organized by the New York State Democratic Committee. The committee said the gathering will bring the three elected officials and candidates together with labor representatives and other Western New York leaders.
Denise Abbott, president of the Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation, and the Rev. Terrance Melvin Sr., secretary-treasurer of the New York State AFL-CIO, are also listed as participants in the Sept. 12 launch.
The committee has not publicly disclosed the event location. Its advisory says members of the press will receive the Amherst address after submitting an RSVP through a form provided by the party.
The tour is intended to make the case against Blakeman as he campaigns for governor. In announcing the Amherst stop, Democrats described him as closely aligned with President Donald Trump and accused him of putting that alliance ahead of New Yorkers.
Party officials said earlier stops around the state have focused on claims that Blakeman's policies would increase costs and property taxes. They have also criticized his creation of an armed civilian emergency force in Nassau County and his support for federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
Those descriptions and allegations come from the Democratic committee's campaign advisory. The release did not include a response from Blakeman or his campaign.
Adams is running for lieutenant governor on the Democratic ticket, while Kennedy represents the Buffalo area in Congress and Ryan serves as Buffalo's mayor. Their appearance places the party's statewide message alongside officials with ties to Western New York.
The New York State Democratic Committee said the broader anti-Blakeman tour has included stops across the state. Saturday's Amherst event is structured as a canvass launch, with the exact site available to credentialed press after they register.
The advisory was paid for by the state Democratic committee and says it was not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
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