Rep. Elise Stefanik announces campaign for New York governor

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik has launched her bid for governor of New York, challenging Democratic incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul.

After weighing a gubernatorial run for months, Ms. Stefanik is the first high-profile Republican to launch a campaign. GOP Rep. Mike Lawler announced earlier that he would not run for governor.

In her announcement video on Friday, Ms. Stefanik blamed Ms. Hochul for the state’s high cost of living and tied her to New York City’s newly elected mayor, Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani. Ms. Hochul endorsed him and joined him on the campaign trail.

“With everything on the line, we need someone who will deliver results and make New York affordable and safe for families and small businesses,” the campaign video says. “Elise Stefanik will clean up Kathy Hochul’s catastrophe and restore New York’s greatness.”

For months, Ms. Stefanik has referred to Ms. Hochul as “the worst governor in America.”

Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, a Democrat, will face off against Ms. Hochul in the primary.

A top House Republican and ally of President Trump, Ms. Stefanik represents a conservative-leaning district in upstate New York. Even though the president lost New York in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, Ms. Stefanik’s district has favored Mr. Trump.

If Ms. Stefanik wins, she would be New York’s first Republican governor since George Pataki, who served from 1995 to 2007. Ms. Hochul became the state’s first female governor after then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who recently lost his mayoral bid, resigned in 2021 amid a sexual harassment scandal.

“Our campaign will unify Republicans, Democrats, and independents to fire Kathy Hochul once and for all to save New York,” she said in the video.

First elected to Congress in 2014, then the youngest woman elected to the House, she is the fourth-ranking member of the Republican caucus. Ms. Stefanik vocally defended Mr. Trump during his first impeachment trial.