Bruce Arthur Blakeman (born October 2, 1955) is an American attorney and politician currently serving as the 10th County Executive of Nassau County, New York. He was elected in the 2021 election, defeating Democratic incumbent Laura Curran. He previously served as the commissioner for the New York-New Jersey Port Authority as well as a Nassau County legislator and Hempstead town councilman. Early life and education Blakeman was born in Valley Stream, New York. He attended Valley Stream Central High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and government from Arizona State University and a Juris Doctor from the California Western School of Law. Early career Bruce Blakeman was first elected to the Hempstead Town Council in 1993. In 1993, federal district court judge Arthur D. Spatt ruled Nassau County's Board of Supervisors to be in violation of one man, one vote. The Board of Supervisors authorized the creation of the Nassau County Legislature as a successor to their body. Elections were held in November 1995, and Blakeman, at the time a Hempstead town Councilman, was elected to the first Legislative class to represent the 7th district. He was also elected the body's first presiding officer. The body took their seats on January 1, 1996. In 1998, Blakeman was the Republican nominee for New York State Comptroller, he lost in the general election to incumbent Democrat Carl McCall. During a particularly bad election year for Nassau County Republicans, Blakeman lost his seat in the Legislature in the election of November 1999 to Jeff Toback, and the Republicans lost the Majority. In June 2001, Blakeman was appointed by Governor George Pataki as a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He held that position until 2009. He was a commissioner during the September 11th attacks. In 2007, as a member of the law firm Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Greenberg, Formato & Einige, Blakeman brokered a deal with Canon Inc. to keep their headquarters on Long Island, and retain over 1,100 jobs for local residents. Canon was planning on moving out of state. In 2010, Blakeman ran for United States Senate after Hillary Clinton resigned the seat to become U.S. secretary of state, which triggered a special election. Governor David Paterson appointed then-Representative Kirsten Gillibrand, who would win the Democratic nomination for the Special Election. Blakeman lost the Republican primary to former Congressman Joe DioGuardi.