By: Myrtle Wilson

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Blakeman is set to roll out a law-and-order running mate, tapping an upstate sheriff with deep roots in law enforcement and a hardline stance on gun rights, according to sources cited by the New York Post.

Blakeman, the current Nassau County executive, will name Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino as his lieutenant governor pick ahead of the GOP’s nominating convention this week in Garden City, sources close to the campaign told the Post. The pairing sets up a clear contrast with Democrats, who are expected to run an all-female ticket led by incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul and lieutenant governor nominee Adrienne Adams, the former New York City Council speaker.

Giardino is expected to make his first public appearance alongside Blakeman on Monday, just days before Republicans formally gather to lock in their statewide ticket, the New York Post reported.

The sheriff brings an unusually broad résumé to the race. Giardino is believed to be the only individual in New York history to have served as an elected district attorney, a Supreme Court judge, and a county sheriff. Over a career spanning more than two decades, he has also worked as a police officer, corrections officer, and volunteer firefighter.

State Conservative Party Chairman Jerry Kassar, who was involved in the selection process, praised the choice. “I’m very much impressed by him,” Kassar told the Post. “I think he will be a wonderful addition to the ticket.” Kassar added that Giardino is well respected among sheriffs statewide and helps geographically balance the ticket, pairing Blakeman’s downstate profile with an upstate lawman.

Crime data may bolster that message. Crime in Fulton County has dropped significantly since 2010, according to figures from the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, which relies on FBI Uniform Crime Reports — a fact Republicans are likely to highlight as the campaign heats up, the New York Post noted.

Giardino is also a vocal supporter of gun rights and a sharp critic of Hochul-era firearm restrictions. He has repeatedly blasted the state’s Concealed Carry Improvement Act, arguing it was rushed through without meaningful input from law enforcement or other professionals.

“They didn’t bring in the partners who could tell them how to actually make the system better,” Giardino told the NRA’s America’s First Freedom outlet in 2023, remarks previously cited by the Post. He accused Democrats of broadly labeling everyday locations as “sensitive places” in order to restrict lawful concealed carry.

Born and raised in Fulton County, Giardino graduated from Gloversville High School before earning degrees from Siena College and Albany Law School. During his college and law school years, he worked summers with multiple police departments, including the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and a department in Massachusetts.

After law school, Giardino briefly worked as an assistant district attorney in Nassau County but returned upstate, where he was elected Fulton County district attorney in 1991 and re-elected four years later. In 1996, then-Gov. George Pataki appointed him to a vacant county court judgeship. Giardino went on to serve 18 years on the bench, presiding over roughly 4,500 civil and criminal cases.

Blakeman’s pick continues a recent GOP trend of elevating law enforcement figures to statewide tickets. As the New York Post reported, in 2022 Republican nominee Lee Zeldin selected retired NYPD deputy inspector Alison Esposito as his running mate.

Blakeman is widely expected to secure the GOP nomination with ease. Party leaders are also likely to back Joseph Hernandez for state comptroller, while the only serious intraparty fight appears to be over the attorney general slot.

With Giardino on board, Republicans are signaling they plan to make crime, public safety, and gun rights central themes of the 2026 race — and to draw a sharp line between their ticket and Hochul’s Democratic administration, as the New York Post reported.