Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., formally announced Friday that she is running for governor of New York, vowing to make the state “affordable and safe for all” and promising to “fire Hochul” in a sharp rebuke of Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul’s leadership.
In a post on X early Friday morning, Stefanik wrote, “Kathy Hochul is the Worst Governor in America. Under her failed leadership, New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation with the highest taxes, highest energy, utilities, rent, and grocery bills. When New Yorkers were looking for leadership from our Governor, she bent the knee to the raging Defund the Police, Tax Hiking Communist causing catastrophe for New York families.”
Stefanik added that she is running to unite Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to “save our state,” concluding her message with the slogan, “FIRE HOCHUL. SAVE NEW YORK.”
The announcement ends months of speculation about Stefanik’s political future and solidifies her position as the Republican Party’s top contender to challenge Hochul in 2026. Her campaign website, eliseforgovernor.com, went live Friday morning alongside her post on X, encouraging donations and early support.
Stefanik, 41, represents New York’s 21st Congressional District, a largely rural area spanning the state’s North Country.
First elected to Congress in 2014 at age 30, she was then the youngest woman ever elected to the House of Representatives.
She quickly rose in prominence as a loyal ally of President Donald Trump and served as chair of the House Republican Conference during the 117th and 118th Congresses (2021–2025), making her the highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress at the time.
A vocal critic of Hochul since she took office in 2021, Stefanik has repeatedly accused the Democrat governor of mismanaging the state’s economy and public safety.
She has argued that Hochul’s policies have driven residents and businesses out of New York and has condemned her handling of the migrant crisis and criminal justice reforms.
In a September radio interview, Stefanik said Hochul “has failed New Yorkers — from skyrocketing costs to dangerous streets. It’s time for new leadership that puts hardworking families first.”
Hochul, who succeeded former Gov. Andrew Cuomo following his 2021 resignation and won a full term in 2022, has faced declining approval ratings amid ongoing concerns about affordability and crime.
Hochul’s administration has defended its record by pointing to economic development initiatives and efforts to strengthen gun control and reproductive rights.
Stefanik’s entry into the race is expected to energize Republican voters across the state, particularly upstate and in suburban areas where concerns about taxes, inflation, and crime remain top issues.
Political analysts say her national profile and fundraising power could make her the most formidable GOP challenger in more than a decade. The contest is expected to draw national attention as Republicans seek to break Democrats’ two-decade hold on the governor’s mansion in deep-blue New York.
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