Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) again teased a run in New York’s 2026 gubernatorial election, listing Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D-NY) resume and why it makes her the “worst governor in America.”
Stefanik specifically expressed frustration with New York being the “highest tax state” within the country, one of several “crises” she argued Hochul and “single-party Democrat rule” brought into the state. She contended that New York is at the top in outmigration due to its cost of living, along with other states like Pennsylvania being much more energy-friendly.
Beyond these issues, the Republican lawmaker bemoaned New York’s “pro-illegal policies” favoring illegal immigrants, along with the state’s “crime crisis,” which she blamed on Hochul’s “failed bail reform.”
“So New Yorkers, not just Republicans, but independents and Democrats as well, are yearning for a new generation of leadership to bring common sense back to our state,” Stefanik said on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. “So, absolutely, I’m taking a hard look at it, and the outpouring of support has been tremendous. And Kathy Hochul is the worst governor in America. I dubbed that of Andrew Cuomo not thinking anybody could make it worse. Kathy Hochul makes the impossible possible. She is the worst governor, and it’s showing in her poor, abysmal approval ratings.”
Stefanik recently spoke to the New York Post about the rumblings on her seeking the governor’s mansion next year, deeming herself to be “in the strongest position to defeat” Hochul. The Democratic governor is wrapping up her first elected term in office after serving as lieutenant governor to Andrew Cuomo, who resigned as governor in August 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations.
AOC TELLS BORDER CZAR ‘COME FOR ME’ OVER HER SUPPORT FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AT FIREY TOWN HALL
The reports over Stefanik’s potential gubernatorial run began growing last month, with the congresswoman releasing a statement knocking Hochul’s “catastrophic polling” in New York following these reports. However, she has also pushed back against claims that she spoke to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) about this possibility.
Stefanik was originally President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.N. ambassador, but withdrew her name due to the Republican Party’s slim majority in the House. This position has now been offered to former national security adviser Mike Waltz.