Rep. Elise Stefanik believes she’s “in the strongest position to defeat” Gov. Hochul and become the first Republican leader of New York state in nearly 20 years, as she inches closer to a 2026 challenge.
In an exclusive interview with The Post, Stefanik (R-NY) confidently rattled off several “Day 1” priorities for a potential term — tax, education, crime, immigration and energy — before taking a shot at the unpopular liberal governor.
“Unlike Kathy Hochul, who was defeated after one term in Congress, we have a record of winning — not just Republicans but winning independents and a fair percentage of Democrats,” she sniped.
“I’m honored to have the most robust, most significant donor base of any Republican ever in the state of New York, and it is time that we work together as a team to save this state from the catastrophic policies.
“If you look at the top 10 worst statistics for New York State — I have seen this decay over the course of my life,” she added, blasting the tax-and-spend policies of Albany that have driven up the cost of living and forced people out of the Empire State in droves.
Stefanik, 40, plans to shore up support through dinners and speaking events in the next two months, criss-crossing the Capital District, Mohawk Valley, Erie and Suffolk counties, and New York City.
She already boasts more than $10 million in federal campaign funds, which could easily be transferred for a statewide run.
One well-connected Republican strategist dished to The Post that “many” people in President Trump’s orbit and key New York donors have been blowing up the phones urging her to run for governor.
Republican pollster Landon Wall released a survey Monday showing her as the clear front-runner for the New York gubernatorial primary — and within striking distance of the Democratic governor should she choose to run.
Forty-four percent of Empire State Republicans back her candidacy, compared with just 7% who favor Rockland County Rep. Mike Lawler or Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
Hochul only leads Stefanik by six percentage points in the poll, 46% to 40%.
Lawler and Stefanik joined a Thursday night event with the Saratoga GOP — one of several counties where Stefanik ran in front of Trump during the 2024 election — and state Assemblyman Chris Tague, who was present, told The Post she looked more than ready to jump into the race.
“I don’t remember any Republican gubernatorial candidates since [former Gov.] George Pataki polling before they even announced that they were running having the margin that she has,” Tague said, bragging about how she’s been “proven to be a fighter throughout her career.”
Asked what her platform would look like, the “born and bred” upstate New Yorker ripped several of Hochul’s policies — including her recent refusal to fully ban masks worn by anti-Israel demonstrators who have harassed Jewish New Yorkers.
“This is an area where Hochul has absolutely failed. Albany and New York Democrats have failed to protect Jewish citizens, not just Jewish students, but Jewish families across this state,” she said, noting how Harvard University President Claudine Gay was forced to resign after telling Congress that calls for the genocide of Jews were permissible on her campus — depending on the “context.”
“Kathy Hochul and Democrats, they have refused to condemn, they have refused to institute policies and actually ensure that we have rule of law and protection for Jewish individuals, and they’ve refused to condemn antisemitism,” she added.
Stefanik also singled out former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — the clear leader in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary — and said she would immediately roll back the law allowing non-citizens to obtain drivers’ licenses, as well as lefty bail reforms, adding that Hochul “doubled down” on the worst decisions made by her predecessor.
“If you look at the corruption crisis under Democrats over many, many years — whether it’s multiple governors in a row, not being able to complete their term because of major corruption issues, mismanagement issues — this is systemic to New York Democrats in Albany who have failed, and the people in New York deserve better,” she noted.
She also promised to work “hand in glove” with the Trump administration as it seeks to defund sanctuary policies for illegal migrants and yank federal cash for universities that fail to quell antisemitism on campus.
The Harvard-educated Albany native said she’d kill the Big Apple’s congestion pricing and unleash energy production in New York by opening up more opportunities for fracking as well as the Constitution pipeline.
“New York Democrats own these crises lock, stock and barrel — and New Yorkers know it,” she thundered to The Post. “No other state in the nation moved further towards Republican this last presidential cycle than New York State.”
President Trump withdrew Stefanik’s nomination as ambassador to the UN late last month, putting her in limbo since she’d also stepped down from several committee assignments and been replaced as House Republican conference chairwoman in preparation for the UN role.
Rumors of her eyeing a gubernatorial run spilled into the open earlier this week when she publicly corrected House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for claiming the two had already discussed it.
She said the two have since “worked out” their disagreements: “It’s a slim majority, and we have an open line of communication.”
Johnson made her chair of his Republican leadership team while also committing to giving her back a coveted seat on the House Intelligence Committee.
But the North Country congresswoman at least for the next few weeks appears to be more interested in talking about statewide issues, while rubbing elbows with Republicans outside of Washington, D.C.
“I get invited across the state typically, but now there are more invites than ever,” she hinted. “It is a busy, busy next six weeks.”
Tague obsserved, “She’s taken on the establishment, she’s taken on the media, she’s taken on the far, extreme left and she’s even taken on some of the biggest liberal universities — and she’s won.
“To win as a Republican in New York State, you have to perform well in upstate New York, and I think that she’s the candidate that that could do that,” he added. “Everybody that knows me, that sees me, the first thing they say to me, ‘Please tell Elise to run for governor, please.’ “
The Post reached out to Hochul’s office for comment.
The post Rep. Elise Stefanik tells Post she’s in ‘strongest position’ to defeat NY Gov. Kathy Hochul as she mulls 2026 run appeared first on New York Post.
