{
  "id": 11171311,
  "title": "Madison Square Garden’s James Dolan Is Spending Big on New York’s Governor Race",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/madison-square-gardens-james-dolan-is-spending-big-on-new-yorks",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-01T10:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Wired",
    "slug": "wired",
    "url": "https://www.wired.com/story/madison-square-gardens-james-dolan-is-spending-big-on-new-yorks-governor-race/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "James Dolan, the owner of Madison Square Garden, is investing heavily in New York's gubernatorial race with his support for a candidate who shares his political views. This move may seem counterintuitive since the state has traditionally been a Democratic stronghold, but recent surveys suggest a potential shift towards a \"blue wave.\" Blakeman, the candidate, backs surveillance technologies like Flock, ICE, and private militias, which align with Dolan's interests. Dolan has a history of making substantial political contributions, including a nearly million-dollar donation to Trump's reelection campaign and the Republican National Committee. In the current race, he has given $108,000 directly to Blakeman's campaign and another $970,000 to the local Nassau County Republican party, which has become the candidate's largest contributor. Additionally, MSG entities have contributed $2 million to a political action committee supporting Blakeman's run through the super PAC, Strong and Safe New York Inc. While there are potential risks associated with Dolan's political involvement, such as opposition to his surveillance practices and state and local authorities taking a closer look, Dolan's support could also provide him with a significant political role in New York.",
  "summary": "James Dolan has put surveillance at the center of his sports and entertainment empire. Now he’s getting involved in GOP politics by backing a candidate who supports Flock, ICE, and AI data centers.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}