Sports and entertainment guru James Dolan has now become the largest GOP donor in the state of New York during the midterm election cycle, despite having previously poured time and effort into Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s last campaign. Dolan, along with his company and many of his family members, have poured $1.4 million into committees this year that support Hochul’s opponent, Republican Bruce Blakeman.
They’ve also been stacking millions into super PACs that have been established to support him and his efforts to unseat Hochul. The money is a saving grace for the GOP after one of the party’s big money donors stopped giving to their efforts. The money from the Dolan camp will have a greater impact than just Blakeman’s gubernatorial campaign.
Republicans need Blakeman to put up a good, competitive race against Hochul if they want to win several other critical New York swing seats that could determine if the GOP will remain in control of Congress during the last few years of President Donald Trump’s term. The giving couldn’t come at a more opportune time for Dolan, who owns the New York Knicks, Rangers, and the arena where they all play, the legendary Madison Square Garden.
According to a report from Politico, President Trump, who is an ally of Blakeman, is now backing an $8 billion overhaul of the Big Apple’s Penn Station that will allow the Garden to remain in its current location, sparing Donal from facing a number of serious issues. Both Trump and Blakeman were guests in Dolan’s suite during the third game of the NBA Finals.
The report also revealed that Dolan is planning to bring the Knicks to the White House, which would mark the first time that an NBA championship team has done so during either of Trump’s terms in the White House. “Historically, he’s leaned toward Republicans, but he hasn’t always been about Republicans,” New York Conservative Party Chair Jerry Kassar stated. “He’s been about what’s best for his business interests.”
A spokesperson for Madison Square Garden Entertainment, which Dolan heads up as executive chairman and CEO, explained that the company backs “candidates that are interested in helping all New Yorkers. That cannot be done in a failing economy.” The political giving also includes a massive $2 million to MSG’s super PAC, which has historically supported moderate Democrats, including Hochul.
The super PAC also began transferring donations to a separate super PAC that was created to support Rep. Elise Stefanik’s short-lived gubernatorial run and is currently helping to financially support ads for Blakeman. Both groups list MSG’s top government relations executive, Richard Constable, as an officer in paperwork that has been filed with the state Board of Elections.
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When the city was celebrating the Knicks’ playoff run, Dolan was having a feud with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, over security arrangements for the arena. He slammed the mayor on numerous occasions, along with Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, calling them “fake fans” and said they were both too inexperienced to run the city.
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