Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik is anticipated to announce her bid to problem incumbent Kathy Hochul for the New York governor’s mansion on Friday.
Quite a few retailers report the 41-year-old Trump-aligned lawmaker from Albany is dedicated to working, as she has been teasing for months. 4 sources with direct information instructed Politico on Thursday that Stefanik’s rollout will embody a marketing campaign video and plans to launch a statewide tour.
The anticipated announcement will come on the finish of per week that noticed large electoral wins for Democratic governors in New Jersey and Virginia, in addition to a mayoral victory for socialist Zohran Mamdani in New York Metropolis.
“Voters in New York and across the country rejected Trump and his enablers earlier this week, and Stefanik will face the same fate when she launches her campaign to put Trump ahead of New Yorkers,” mentioned Addison Dick, a spokesperson for the New York State Democratic Occasion.
Stefanik was elected to Congress in 2014 after starting her political profession working as a staffer for the U.S. Home Coverage Council beneath the Bush administration. She helped put together the Republican platform for the 2012 presidential election, and labored with the Overseas Coverage Initiative, the now-shuttered right-wing assume tank.
Throughout her time within the Home, Stefanik — like lots of her conservative allies — expressed skepticism about President Biden’s 2020 election victory over Trump. She’s additionally been a steadfast critic of Hochul, whom she’s referred to as “the worst governor in America.”
Her knocks in opposition to Hochul have included allegations of weak point in relation to battling antisemitism. The governor’s workplace has made related criticisms of Stefanik.
If she certainly does run, the upstate Republican may face a major problem from conservative Nassau County Govt Bruce Blakeman, who has additionally signaled curiosity in working the state. Blakeman enjoys robust assist on Lengthy Island, the place he received a second time period Tuesday.
New Yorkers head to the polls on Nov. 3, 2026, to choose the subsequent governor.
