Trump Ally Officially Launches Campaign To Challenge Democrat Governor

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) on Friday launched her campaign for Governor of New York.

“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 said.

“I am running for Governor to make New York affordable and safe FOR ALL. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents will unify to save our state,” she added.

Watch her campaign announcement video:

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… pic.twitter.com/HXyQlNIjEj

— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) November 7, 2025

NBC News has more:

Stefanik is the first high-profile Republican to launch a campaign and she’s been weighing a run for governor for months. She said back in April that she would announce her decision after the 2025 elections, following GOP Rep. Mike Lawler’s announcement that he would not run for governor. Trump helped convince Lawler, who represents a competitive district, to stay put in the House, effectively clearing the primary field for Stefanik.

Stefanik had been nominated to be Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, but Trump withdrew her nomination amid concerns that a competitive special election to replace her in Congress could further shrink the narrow GOP majority.

First elected to Congress in 2014, then the youngest woman elected to the House, Stefanik has risen through the ranks of GOP leadership, serving as conference chairwoman in the last Congress. She built a national profile as a vocal defender of Trump during his first impeachment in 2019, and has become a prolific fundraiser.

Still, Stefanik will face an uphill battle in the traditionally Democratic state. Trump made significant gains in New York in 2024, improving on his 2020 election margin by 11 points, the largest swing toward Trump of any state in the country. But he still lost New York by 13 points last year.

“Republicans are united, and united we cannot lose. We will end the disaster of one-party Democrat rule, send Kathy Hochul packing, and make New York affordable and safe. It starts today,” the New York GOP stated.

Republicans are united, and united we cannot lose.

We will end the disaster of one-party Democrat rule, send Kathy Hochul packing, and make New York affordable and safe.

It starts today. https://t.co/tkbIRwY8jL

— New York GOP (@NewYorkGOP) November 7, 2025

“We have crisscrossed the state. The overwhelming outpouring of support from Republicans, independents, and Democrats is that we need a new governor to save our state,” Stefanik told the New York Post.

“She owns the catastrophe from top to bottom,” she added.

BREAKING: Elise Stefanik officially files to run for New York governor, calling Hochul the ‘worst governor in America’ pic.twitter.com/QubzzeSwAv

— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 7, 2025

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The New York Post shared further info:

Stefanik said that her gubernatorial bid — which could make her the first Republican leader of the Empire State in 20 years – -will be “focused on making New York affordable” and “safe again.”

“New York State is single-party, Democrat rule,” she said. “Under Kathy Hochul’s failed leadership, New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation, with the highest taxes, highest utility and energy prices, highest rent, and it’s why people are leaving in mass exodus.”

Stefanik continued her recent attacks tying Hochul and Mamdani, saying that her soon-to-be opponent: “owns this disaster mayor who barely broke 50%.”

“He is a socialist, he is a defund-the-police, communist, anti-semite, pro-Hamas, and Kathy Hochul hasn’t condemned a single statement he has made,” Stefanik railed.

“She owns this lock, stock and barrel. She also owns his position where he said he wants to raise taxes.”

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Stefanik drew attention to a recent incident in which Hochul, who endorsed Mamdani weeks before his victory over former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayor’s race, was “heckled off the stage” by chants of “tax the rich” from his supporters.

“She has a record of raising taxes, and she’s obviously considering doing that again, which is devastating to families who are suffering from an affordability crisis,” noted the New York Republican — after some state Democrats floated a plan to that effect in the wake of Mamdani’s election Tuesday.