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Wong, Blakeman Criticize Hochul's Gas Stove Ban

Queens Councilman Phil Wong and Republican candidate Bruce Blakeman attacked the state's gas stove restrictions at a Juniper Civic Association event.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Cooking

Bold flat-color editorial illustration in navy and cream with a brick-red accent, showing a gas burner ring above a brick building facade under overcast sky.
Queens Councilman Phil Wong and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman criticized Governor Kathy Hochul's ban on gas stoves in new buildings at a Juniper Civic Association event Saturday. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should New York restrict gas stoves in new buildings even if it raises housing costs?

Queens City Councilman Phil Wong criticized Governor Kathy Hochul's gas stove ban at a Juniper Civic Association event, and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman joined him in opposing the measure. The ban applies to new buildings up to seven stories tall this year.

Why it matters

The gas stove restriction is a point of contention in the New York governor's race, with Election Day set for November 3. The debate centers on whether the state's emissions-reduction rules should extend into residential kitchens.

The gas ban takes effect this year for new buildings up to seven stories, with taller buildings covered by 2029, and the law exempts restaurants. The extraction does not specify the number of households affected or the full scope of implementation delays.

The players

Phil Wong

Phil Wong is a Queens City Councilman who criticized the gas stove ban at the Juniper Civic Association event.

Kathy Hochul

Kathy Hochul is the Governor of New York who implemented the gas stove ban aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

Bruce Blakeman

Bruce Blakeman is the Republican gubernatorial candidate who joined Wong in opposing the gas stove ban.

The details

At a Saturday event hosted by the Juniper Civic Association, Wong criticized the ban while Blakeman, who posted video of a Queens Chinese restaurant kitchen, grabbed a wok while speaking with the chef. The gas stove ban has also triggered lawsuits and implementation delays, and Hochul has gas stoves at her Buffalo residence and the Albany executive mansion.

Timeline

  1. This year: gas ban takes effect for new buildings up to seven stories.

  2. Saturday before November 1, 2026: Wong and Blakeman criticize the ban at the civic association event.

  3. 2029: gas ban extends to taller buildings.

  4. November 3, 2026: Election Day for governor and other offices.

Political Context

Earlier this year, Hochul persuaded Democrats in the state Legislature to delay the timetable for some green mandates, a move her administration justified by claiming the mandates would impose thousands of dollars in added costs on residents. The gas stove ban is among the policies now under political fire as the governor's race approaches.

New buildings up to seven stories will be unable to install gas stoves this year, which will shape kitchen choices for residents of new construction. Restaurants are exempt, so the change mainly affects home cooks and new residential builds.

The takeaway

If you are planning a kitchen in a new building, check whether your building falls under the seven-story initial rule or the 2029 expansion before choosing between gas and electric cooktops.

What happens next

Election Day is November 3, 2026, when New York voters will decide the governor's race in which the gas stove ban is a campaign issue.

Further reading

Explore more on Cooking to see how gas stove rules affect home kitchens.

Live Poll

Should New York restrict gas stoves in new buildings even if it raises housing costs?