Stefanik Says She’s Best Positioned to Unseat New York Gov. Hochul
Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, a close supporter of former President Donald Trump, believes she’s best suited to defeat Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in the upcoming gubernatorial race.
“In the strongest position to defeat” Hochul, Stefanik told The New York Post, emphasizing her ability to appeal across party lines. “Unlike Kathy Hochul, who was defeated after one term in Congress, we have a record of winning — not just Republicans but winning independents and a fair percentage of Democrats,” she said.
New York hasn’t elected a Republican governor since George Pataki left office nearly two decades ago, and Stefanik says it’s time for that to change.
“I’m honored to have the most robust, most significant donor base of any Republican ever in the state of New York, and it is time that we work together as a team to save this state from the catastrophic policies,” she told The Post, expressing concern over the state’s trajectory. “If you look at the top 10 worst statistics for New York State — I have seen this decay over the course of my life.”
Although she was once considered by Trump for the role of UN ambassador, Stefanik withdrew from consideration to avoid reducing the GOP's narrow majority in the House. Now, she reportedly has $10 million in federal campaign funds that could be redirected toward a run for governor.
A Republican strategist told The Post that many Trump allies and donors in New York are encouraging Stefanik to enter the race.
A new poll conducted by GOP pollster Landon Wall, released Monday, shows Hochul leading Stefanik by only six points, 46% to 40%. Among Republican voters in the state, 44% favor Stefanik as their candidate, far outpacing Rep. Mike Lawler and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who each garnered just 7%.
The Post also reported that Stefanik and Lawler both attended a Thursday event hosted by the Saratoga County GOP. The county is one where Stefanik outperformed Trump in the 2024 election. State Assemblyman Chris Tague, who was present at the event, said she appeared ready to campaign. “I don’t remember any Republican gubernatorial candidates since [former Gov.] George Pataki polling before they even announced that they were running having the margin that she has,” he noted. Tague added that Stefanik has “proven to be a fighter throughout her career.”
In contrasting her potential platform with Hochul’s record, Stefanik criticized the governor for not banning masks used by pro-Palestinian demonstrators who, according to Stefanik, have intimidated Jewish residents.
“This is an area where Hochul has absolutely failed. Albany and New York Democrats have failed to protect Jewish citizens, not just Jewish students, but Jewish families across this state,” Stefanik said, citing the example of former Harvard President Claudine Gay’s controversial congressional testimony about context-dependent standards for protest.
“Kathy Hochul and Democrats, they have refused to condemn, they have refused to institute policies and actually ensure that we have rule of law and protection for Jewish individuals, and they’ve refused to condemn antisemitism,” Stefanik added.
Another policy Stefanik said she would change is the continuation of a measure from former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, now upheld by Hochul, allowing undocumented immigrants to receive driver’s licenses.
“If you look at the corruption crisis under Democrats over many, many years — whether it’s multiple governors in a row, not being able to complete their term because of major corruption issues, mismanagement issues — this is systemic to New York Democrats in Albany who have failed, and the people in New York deserve better,” she said.