Advocates, Democrats and families of those who fatally overdosed have criticized the Blakeman administration for what they called the slow pace of spending the money as the opioid crisis continues, with more than 650 people dying of deadly overdoses on Long Island last year, Newsday previously reported.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman kicked off his 2025 re-election campaign at a packed American Legion event in Massapequa, highlighting his record on crime reduction and tax cuts while his Democratic opponent Seth Koslow criticized his administration's performance.

Blakeman focused on safety, highlighting that the county has hired over 300 police officers and corrections officers during his term.

Nassau’s top elected official celebrated the county’s anti-”sanctuary” status at his State of the County Wednesday – doubling down on his promise to work with federal immigration officials. Republican Bruce Blakeman said Nassau is the first county in the US to have a federal cooperation agreement with ICE,