New York gubernatorial candidate urges 9/11 attendees to turn away from Mamdani during ceremony

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. 9/11 families are calling for NYC Mayor Mamdani to be banned from the 25th-anniversary ceremony in September. Giovanni Galante, who lost his wife Grace, organized a petition citing Mamdani's public record and alleged minimization of 9/11 attacks. Bruce Blakeman, the Republican candidate in New York's gubernatorial race, said Wednesday that attendees at this year's Sept. 11 memorial ceremony should turn their backs on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani if he attends. "I would equate this to a wake. You don't go to a wake if you're not welcome," Blakeman, whose nephew was killed in the South Tower on Sept. 11, 2001, and who currently serves as Nassau County executive, told reporters. "I think it's completely appropriate if family members ask him not to come, but if he does come, I think there's a respectful and peaceful way to protest that, and I would