Elise Stefanik is running for Governor of New York

NEW YORK (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik is running for governor of New York, her campaign announced Friday.

In a video shared on social media, Stefanik called Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul “the worst governor in America” and called New York “the most expensive state in the country.”

Stefanik, who represents a solid red congressional district in upstate New York, has for months been promoting his run for governor, directing harsh criticism at Hochul and more recently at Zahran Mamdani, New York City’s mayor-elect.

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Last year, President Donald Trump chose Stefanik, a staunch ally, to be the administration’s ambassador to the United Nations, but rescinded the nomination months later over concerns about Republicans’ narrow margins in the House of Representatives.

Read more: White House withdraws nomination of Rep. Stefanik for UN Ambassador due to narrow GOP majority in the House

Although any Republican faces long odds to win the governor’s office in New York, Stefanik’s campaign will bring strong name recognition, fundraising prowess, and deep ties to the Trump White House.

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The GOP primary field remains unclear heading into the 2026 race. U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler had considered running and was considered a potentially strong candidate, but said earlier this year that he would instead seek re-election in the battleground House district in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Hochul faces a contested primary, with her lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado, running against her.

Stefanik, a Harvard graduate, was 30 when she was first elected to the House in 2014. She entered Congress as a moderate Republican but quickly associated herself with Trump, reshaping her persona into a more outspoken and outspoken MAGA disciple.

Her national image got a major boost after she aggressively questioned a group of university presidents about anti-Semitism on their campuses, leading to two of their resignations and earning praise from the Republican president.

Democrats have a huge advantage in voter registration in New York. The state’s last Republican governor was former Gov. George Pataki, who left office about two decades ago. However, Republican Lee Zeldin, a former Long Island congressman and current head of the Environmental Protection Agency, has made a serious run for the position in 2022, coming close to drawing Hochul’s ire.