WASHINGTON (TNND) — New York GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik, said she is running for governor against current Gov. Kathy Hochul to make the state more affordable for everyone.
Affordability is also one of Hochul’s talking points she supports as well, though both women have varying ideas as to how to accomplish it.
“I am running for Governor to make New York affordable and safe FOR ALL,” Stefanik wrote on the social media platform X.
“Democrats, Republicans, and Independents will unify to save our state.”
She said that it was time to fire Gov. Hochul and save New York.
Following Stefanik’s announcement to run for governor, Hochul’s campaign put out a statement admonishing the candidate for her ties to the president.
“Sellout Stefanik is Donald Trump’s number one cheerleader in Congress and his right-hand woman in his war on New York. Apparently, screwing over New Yorkers in Congress wasn’t enough – now she’s trying to bring Trump’s chaos and skyrocketing costs to our state.,” the communications director for Hochul’s campaign said in a statement.
“While Stefanik puts Trump first and New York last, Governor Hochul is lowering costs, cutting middle-class taxes, and fighting for the New Yorkers Stefanik abandoned.”
Hochul first became governor of New York in 2021 after then-Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned over a sexual harassment scandal.
Recently, New York City Democratic socialist mayoral-elect Zohran Mamdani won his race, focusing on main issues like cost of living.
Hochul has addressed the cost of living in the state and has issued “inflation refund checks” for eligible New Yorkers that are a one-time payment from the state to help residents with the rising cost of living.
During her campaign video posted to X, Stefanik said that high cost of living is due to Hochul’s leadership.
According to a poll taken by Siena Research Institute, in August, Hochul had a 42-44% approval rating.
Stefanik argued that high taxes and high costs are due to Hochul’s leadership and her goal is to make the state more affordable.
“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 wrote on X.
When it comes to gun safety, both candidates also have different approaches to policy.
During her tenure as governor, Hochul invested $370 Million to combat gun violence across the state. While serving in Congress, Stefanik introduced a bill to stop guns from being “unconstitutionally” taken.
“I am proud to re-introduce the Modern Firearm Safety Act to end the unconstitutional gun-grabbing agenda thrust on law-abiding New York residents by Far Left Democrats like Kathy Hochul. This legislation would ban Albany Democrats from imposing illegal handgun roster requirements meant to deter gun ownership,” she said in a July statement.
Stefanik argued in a video that single party Democratic ruling is the reason for the state being unaffordable and touted a middle class tax cut to help New Yorkers.