Hours after she announced she would run for New York governor in 2026, Republican U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik reported that GOP leaders around the state have quickly coalesced around her campaign to take on Gov. Kathy Hochul next year.
Stefanik said Friday afternoon that 56 county Republican chairs, representing more than 72% of the weighted vote, have endorsed the North Country congresswoman’s campaign, putting her well on the way to become the party’s preferred nominee.
“I am incredibly grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of support all across New York. After serving New York families for over a decade in Congress and helping to support Republican candidates up and down the ballot, we have the infrastructure and support to mount the most unified campaign for a Republican candidate to defeat Kathy Hochul to save our state,” Stefanik said in a statement.
Stefanik also secured endorsements from state Republican Party Chair Ed Cox and 34 Republican members of the state Assembly — most of the caucus — including Minority Leader Will Barclay.
The support goes beyond the GOP. State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar said “the critical mass of support for Congresswoman Stefanik ensures that she will be the Conservative Party nominee for governor.”
At this point, no other substantial GOP candidate has declared their candidacy, though others still have time to do so. In 2022, former Rep. Lee Zeldin was the party favorite early on and ultimately won the Republican nomination, but still had to win a primary contest against three other opponents.
The state GOP will hold a convention early next year to formally nominate their candidate.
The representative of New York’s sprawling 21st Congressional District in the North Country for the last 10 years, Stefanik is taking on the high task of unseating Gov. Kathy Hochul and ending 20 years of Democratic dominance in the Empire State’s executive mansion. Hochul is running for a second full term. She faces at least one challenger on the Democratic side, her own lieutenant governor.