Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman taunted Gov. Kathy Hochul over her administration’s fight to cancel the Massapequa Chiefs team name. The callout came during a Monday visit to the Massapequa High School merch stand, where Blakeman held up a Chiefs sweatshirt and told a Post reporter, “Hey Kathy Hochul, you see what this says? It says Chiefs.”
Blakeman added: “Once a Chief, always a Chief. You tried to take that away from Massapequa – no way.” The remarks landed at Hofstra University, where the school’s football team was hosting Garden City in a game drawing nearly 6,000 fans.
Blakeman’s Stand
Blakeman is now serving as Nassau County executive. His visit to the merch stand put him squarely in front of the administration that is trying to strip the name from the school district.
The state mandated in 2023 that public schools drop Native American names and imagery or lose funding through a Board of Regents mandate. The Massapequa Union Free School District estimates rebranding costs about $1 million.
School officials argue the term “chiefs” is used innocuously in courts, firehouses, police stations, and even within New York State government. That argument has not stopped the state from moving forward with its ban.
The Students Push Back
High school seniors have also trolled the state with defiant Class of 2027 T-shirts bearing a Chiefs logo and the phrase “2till 7he Chiefs!” The shirts are a direct response to the state’s order.
The game ended with Massapequa beating Garden City 21-14, ending the Trojans’ 68-game win streak. The victory capped a night that had already drawn attention beyond the field.
Massapequa Board of Education President Kerry Wachter said alumni were saying “thank you for standing up for us” at the game. The support from older graduates suggests the fight has become a point of pride for the whole community.
Trump’s Endorsement
President Trump has continually backed keeping the name. He posed with a Chiefs sweatshirt in the Oval Office in 2025, a gesture that put the administration’s position on display.
Last year, federal Education Secretary Linda McMahon toured the school and announced a civil rights investigation into New York’s policy. That investigation remains ongoing, though the state has not wavered in its mandate.
The Native American Guardians Association’s attorney Chap Petersen called the state’s position the “dumbest law of all time” in January and said clients were ready to take the case to the Supreme Court. The legal threat has drawn national attention to a local fight.
Hochul’s Stakes
Hochul seeks a second full term after ascending to governor in 2021 following Andrew Cuomo’s resignation amid sexual harassment accusations he denied. The Massapequa name fight is one of several cultural battles she faces as she runs for re-election.
Election Day is Nov. 3. Blakeman’s callout puts the issue front and center in the final stretch of the campaign.
The game drew nearly 6,000 buzzing fans, and the community has rallied around the name. A “Once A Chief Always A Chief” mural on campus has become a symbol of the resistance.
The fight is not over. The state has the mandate, but the community has the shirts, the mural, and the alumni thanking them for standing up.
Key Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Board of Regents mandate requires schools to drop Native American names and imagery or lose funding |
| 2025 | Trump poses with Chiefs sweatshirt in Oval Office |
| Last year | Linda McMahon tours school and announces civil rights investigation |
| Jan 2026 | Chap Petersen calls state’s position the “dumbest law of all time” |
Order of Events on Monday
- Blakeman visits Massapequa High School merch stand at Hofstra
- Holds up Chiefs sweatshirt and taunts Hochul
- Adds “Once a Chief, always a Chief” remark
- Game ends with Massapequa beating Garden City 21-14
The students are not waiting for the lawyers. They are wearing the defiance on their chests.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs Blakeman’s push to keep the Chiefs name and is against the state office trying to take it away. A name that has stood for generations should not be stripped by fiat from a school district simply because some office in Albany decided it does not like the word.
Blakeman’s visit to the merch stand was a direct callout to Hochul’s administration, which has moved ahead with a Board of Regents mandate forcing schools to drop Native American names and imagery or lose funding. That mandate is an exercise of arbitrary power, and the paper is against it.
What the reader should watch for is whether the state’s ban holds or falls. The fight has reached the federal level, with Trump backing the name and McMahon announcing a civil rights investigation. The community has rallied with defiant T-shirts and a mural. The paper hopes the name stays, and it stands with those who are defending it.
Source material: “Blakeman taunts Hochul with Massapequa Chiefs name — as high schoolers troll NYS logo ‘ban’,” the New York Post.
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