Two upstate women in opposing political parties are vying for the governor’s seat in 2026.

Both Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul and the chairwoman of House Republican Leadership, Rep. Elise Stefanik, are running on messages of affordability, being working moms and having their own decent relationships with the White House.

What You Need To Know

Both Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul and the chairwoman of House Republican Leadership, Rep. Elise Stefanik, are running on messages of affordability, being working moms and have their own decent relationships with the White House

Hochul easily leads Stefanik in a head-to-head race, according to a new Siena University poll

Two female candidates also introduce a slew of lived experience as both are, or have been, working mothers in high-profile jobs

Both enter the race with millions of dollars in campaign cash with promises to drive down the high cost of living.

“Economics is what’s going to drive a lot of next year. How expensive it is to go to the supermarket and come home and feed your kids,” Bill O’Reilly, a Republican consultant, said.

Hochul easily leads Stefanik in a head-to-head race, according to a new Siena University poll.

Despite benefitting from high statewide Democratic voter enrollment, when voters were asked if they preferred Hochul or “someone else” as governor, more picked the unnamed alternative over Hochul.

“If you compare her to her contemporaries, fellow executives or former executives, she actually looks pretty rosy,” Trip Yang, a political consultant, said.

“She announced her inflation check program to address affordability. This is months before Mamdani won the Democratic primary. She got ahead of the curve,” he added.

Stefanik, meanwhile, needs to boost her name ID in the five boroughs.

There, 41% of voters view her unfavorably, 23% favorable and 36% either don’t know or have no opinion of her.

“Get an apartment in Brooklyn, like seriously,” O’Reilly said.

“It’s all Republicans — that’s kind of a weak spot. So she’s going to need to camp out down here and get to know the Hudson Valley and New York City. She’s gonna have to hit that 30% mark — or that 32 — whatever the magic number is to win statewide,” he added.

Hochul wants voters to analyze her record but also blames Stefanik for being complicit in the latest federal government shutdown.

“Governor Hochul is doing the work to lower costs, put money back in New Yorkers’ pockets, and make our streets and subways safer. Sellout Stefanik is doing whatever it takes to remain Donald Trump’s ‘top ally,’” Sarafina Chitika, spokeswoman for Hochul’s campaign, said.

“That’s the difference. While Stefanik carries out Trump’s attacks on New York — gutting funding for our schools, hospitals, roads and bridges — Governor Hochul is fighting back and standing up for New York families,” she added.

Also able to successfully negotiate with President Donald Trump, by keeping congestion pricing, saving a key wind energy project and fending off federal troops.

“Trump — not Biden — being in the Oval Office and Trump being less popular than he was before is a critical difference. Two, Elise Stefanik votes with Trump 100% of the time,” Yang said.

Meanwhile, Stefanik says voters should direct ire at Hochul for leading the affordability crisis — slamming the Empire State’s high taxes, cost of doing business and criminal justice reforms.

Her strong alliance with Trump nearly made her the next U.N. ambassador. But the president appeared to douse her strategy of tying Hochul to Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani last week.

“I met with a man who’s a very rational person. I met with a man who really wants to see New York be great again,” said Trump on Nov. 21 in the Oval Office, after admitting he doesn’t think Mamdani is a “jihadist” after he was asked about Stefanik’s claim in a recent attack ad.

Bernadette Breslin, a spokeswoman for Stefanik, told NY1 in a statement that the congresswoman’s pledges include a tax cut, lower utility bills and funding for law enforcement.

“Elise Stefanik has consistently outrun President Trump by an average of more than 10%, the most of any Republican in New York,” Breslin said in a statement.

“The more voters get to know Elise, the more they support her and her record of results; the more they learn about Kathy Hochul, the more they oppose and despise her for her affordability and crime crises. Elise is building a campaign that unites all New Yorkers, regardless of party affiliation, to reverse Kathy Hochul’s policies that have failed our state,” she continued.

Two female candidates also introduce a slew of lived experience.

Both are, or have been, working mothers in high-profile jobs.

“Governor Hochul should win women by a significant margin, and Congresswoman Stefanik should win men by an equally, if not greater, significant margin. So you know where your weakness is, so for Congresswoman Stefanik, she needs to work women. She needs to get in there and find things they care about other than abortion,” O’Reilly said.

Then there are the possible primary challengers.

Hochul’s errant Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, a former upstate congressman who served with Stefanik in Congress, announced his candidacy over the summer. He is coming at his boss from the left.

As of now an undeclared candidate, Nassau County’s GOP Executive Bruce Blakeman recently sailed to reelection in a purple county.

Also close to Trump, Blakeman threatens to cut into Stefanik’s Long Island support if there’s a Republican primary.

“A Republican typically has to do 15 [to] 20% win margin in Nassau County or more to have a shot at winning,” Yang said.