STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, announced Friday that she will run for governor of New York.
The congresswoman, who is in her sixth term representing New York’s 21st District, wasted no time taking shots at her likely opponent, incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“Elise Stefanik is running for Governor to fire the Worst Governor in America Kathy Hochul to Save New York. Elise will fight every day to make New York more affordable and safe for families. Under Kathy Hochul’s failed leadership, New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation with the highest taxes, highest energy, utilities, rent, and grocery prices,” according to her campaign website.
In her campaign launch video, Stefanik blames Hochul for the affordability crisis facing New Yorkers while also tying her to Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who Hochul endorsed and campaigned alongside in the lead up to the recent mayoral election.
The video states that Hochul “cozied up to a defund the police, tax-hiking, antisemitic communist.” While Republicans have repeatedly referred to Mamdani as a communist, the mayor-elect identifies himself as a democratic socialist.
Top priorities for Stefanik include cutting taxes, reducing utility costs, ending bail reform and sanctuary city policies, lowering the cost of living and protecting and empowering law enforcement, according to her campaign website.
The governor’s campaign issued a statement in response to Stefanik’s launch video, criticizing the congresswoman for putting the president ahead of her own constituents.
“Sellout Stefanik is Donald Trump’s number one cheerleader in Congress and his right-hand woman in his war on New York: gutting health care, jacking up costs with expensive tariffs, and cutting funding for our police, schools, and hospitals. 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. 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,” said Hochul Campaign Communications Director Sarafina Chitika.
Stefanik visited Staten Island in June, when she had hinted at a gubernatorial run but not yet announced it, attending the Staten Island GOP’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner at the Vanderbilt at South Beach.
She received a warm welcome from a room packed with the borough’s GOP representatives and supporters, including Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who introduced Stefanik to the crowd.
“I believe that Elise Stefanik would make a great governor because she would reinstate common sense, put public safety first, and make New York affordable once again,” Malliotakis said at the time.
“Those are the things that Republicans, Democrats and Independents are desperately seeking. We want to end New York’s disastrous one-party rule, and she is our best shot to fire Kathy Hochul and get someone who will put New York’s hardworking taxpayers first,” Malliotakis added.
Assemblymember Michael Tannousis, who serves as chair of the Staten Island GOP, said, “I’m happy that she came here today. We had a very strong showing of Republicans in Staten Island, with a room packed full of people, and a lot of support and enthusiasm for her, for President Trump and the Republican ideals on Staten Island.”
Hochul, who will be challenged in the primary by her own lieutenant governor Antonio Delgado, fired back with her own campaign ad criticizing “Sellout Stefanik” for her “extreme record of selling out New Yorkers to Donald Trump.”
The video shows Stefanik referring to Trump as “the greatest president in the history of our country” and referring to herself as “President Trump’s top ally in Congress.”
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